


Death on the Water

by SollyinPurplePants



Category: TUGS (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Mystery, aka herc no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-16 08:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13632423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SollyinPurplePants/pseuds/SollyinPurplePants
Summary: (Supernatural AU Tugs fic)When Hercules is sent up to Canada for work, strange things start happening shortly after his arrival. Back in Bigg City, Ten Cents and Sunshine hear rumors of a grim reaper and are soon forced to investigate when they notice Hercules acting rather strangely...Rated T for eventual death and body horror.





	1. Halifax

**Author's Note:**

> After putting some thought and consideration, I have decided to post my Tugs fanfiction "Death on the Water" on here! I have posted the story on Fanfiction.net (not completed of course), so I will do my best to post chapters on to here.

It was a foggy September morning in Bigg City, and the Star Dock was unusually quiet. Some tugs had already left to go fulfill contract work, making the dock look empty. However, others decided to wait it out and sleep some more as the fog could make certain obstacles in sea well hidden.

Captain Starr was in his office stirring some coffee when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in." He said, and his secretary soon walked in with a serious expression on her face. "A message from the Royal Canadian Navy sir." She whispered, handing Captain Starr a telegram. He thanked her and gingerly took the telegram before reading it.

Hercules was resting at one of the smaller docks when Captain Starr opened the window. He noticed how tired his lead tug was, but he had no other choice. "Rise and shine Hercules!" He shouted, forcing the large tug to slowly wake up and groan rather loudly. "I just received word from the Royal Canadian Navy that a cargo vessel ran aground near Halifax earlier this morning, and they need your help salvaging him."

Something stirred inside Hercules, and he was now wide awake. "A salvage Captain? I'll be happy to do that, but I'm not sure if-" He was about to slip some rude comments about the Navy when Captain Starr said, "Lighten up! The Royal Canadian Navy is really polite, so work should go smoothly."

The tug sighed a breath of relief, knowing how bothersome the American Navy got. Hopefully the Canadians would treat him with respect, compared to how a certain Navy tug had been treating him and his friends…

Later on that morning, the fog had cleared away, making traffic run more smoothly. Ten Cents and Sunshine were sent to the fueling depot to collect some oil and take it to the Star Dock.

"I figure it's for Hercules. He's always going out on long journeys." Sunshine commented, watching men tie ropes around them and the oil barge. "You might be right." Ten Cents replied. "Especially since this oil barge requires us two!"

The journey went smoothly and the two switchers soon arrived at the Star Dock. Hercules was getting prepared for the long journey. "Morning Herc! We got your fuel!" Ten Cents smiled, straining at the weight of the barge. "Where are you going this time?" Sunshine wheezed, barely holding onto the barge.

Hercules chuckled and shook his head. Oh how switchers could be so determined despite their size! "I'm going to Canada! It's my first trip abroad in a few years!" He said, watching some men work to getting the oil barge attached to him.

"Canada?" Ten Cents and Sunshine asked in unison, eyes widening with excitement. "Where abouts?" This drew the attention of Big Mac, and he soon steamed up to where the three tugs were.

"You're not going to Halifax, are ya?" Big Mac asked, his voice reduced to a hushed whisper. He and Warrior were sent to work in Halifax after a massive explosion levelled the city, and was heavily traumatised as a result. The images of burned buildings and the contorted remains of ships would forever haunt his mind.

"I am, but I heard the city rose like a phoenix." Hercules assured the other, his tone serious. "Hopefully I won't run into any problems during my visit." This prompted a sigh of relief from Big Mac, and Hercules smiled in response.

It was soon time to go, and Hercules blew his whistle. "I won't be back for a week darlings, so make sure things go smoothly here while I'm gone. And Ten Cents, be sure to say hello to Lillie for me!" And with that, Hercules left Bigg City.

A few days later, Hercules was on the Canadian coast near Halifax. He observed the Champion, noticing how miserable he looked. Some salvage crew had already started work on cutting him up, but it looked haphazard and made for an ugly distraction when compared to the rest of the coastline.

Once he approached Halifax, he was immediately greeted by a patrol vessel from the Royal Canadian Navy. "Welcome to Canada, Hercules! I'm Tiger, and I will be your guide." The patrol vessel explained.

He escorted Hercules to a dock being used by the Navy, and he spotted some cruisers. "This is your superior, HMCS Patrician. We call him Pat for short." Tiger explained, backing away to reveal an aging destroyer. Patrician's face was hardened with years of war, but did his best to be cheerful.

"Hercules, I have heard from others about the work you and your sister have done and I cannot thank you enough. I was not there to witness it myself, but I have heard about you from Balclutha." Patrician explained. "Formalities aside, we have a vessel that has run aground and needs salvaging."

The large tug couldn't help but blush about the work he had done. Sometimes he felt he didn't deserve such praise, especially when he saw himself as a common tug and not a celebrity. However, word of mouth made him admired. And feared.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Patrician. Hopefully we shouldn't have any problems, yes?" Hercules smiled. "What sort of work do you need me to do?"

Patrician smiled and explained, "We need you to go and salvage Champion. Some scrappers already started due to your delay with the fog, but hopefully you can finish what they started. With your strength, you can easily pull away chunks for scrapping."

Hercules nodded, but something else was on his mind. "I prefer my salvaging to be done at night darling. Seeing a ship get cut up during the day would not be a pleasant sight." He explained, hoping the destroyer wouldn't mind. "Besides, I just arrived and I need time to settle down." "Ah, going in with stealth, aren't we?" Patrician asked, raising an eyebrow. "As long as you're safe, we should be good."

A concerned Coast Guard vessel heard their banter and asked, "But Pat… what about fog?" "Fog doesn't startle me, I've lived in San Francisco to know how to navigate it." Hercules assured the vessel with a small grin, effectively silencing him. "Then it's settled!" Patrician exclaimed.

It was soon nightfall, and it was calm and relatively peaceful out in the coast near Halifax. An old fishing vessel was out and about, his crew looking for fish that would feed the town. As he sailed on, Hercules sailed right past him.

"Stupid bloke, who does he think he is?" He muttered to himself. He did not care who Hercules was, as he was occupied with his work. A thick fog rolled in, and the fishong vessel had to turn on his foglight to navigate.

The fishing vessel sailed along, and soon spotted Champion. "Poor lad." He muttered, and soon noticed Hercules heading right towards him.

As Hercules got closer, one couldn't help but notice his demeanor change. His expression became rather serious, knowing all too well the horrors of ships in such a dilapidated state. He soon got up to Champion and blew his whistle. The cargo ship slowly opened his eyes and looked down. However, before he could speak, he felt himself getting torn to pieces…

Notes:

• The Halifax explosion was was one of the worst maritime disasters in history. A munitions vessel and a cargo vessel collided, with the munitions vessel blowing up soon after. Thousands were dead or wounded, and the city was levelled. A new Halifax was built, but the scars from the explosion still linger.

• HMCS Patrician was part of the British Navy before being transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in the 1920s.


	2. Fear

The next morning, all of Halifax harbor was gripped in a state of fear. "A tug was spotted next to the Champion and scrapped him!" "Champion didn't stand a chance against the guy, or rather, couldn't." "Has the grim reaper come to Halifax once more?"

Hercules had just woken up and was too tired to care about the rumors. However, he was starting to get annoyed with how over the top they were getting. Half of them were probably blown out of proportion for drama's sake, and the other half was just gossip.

He went up to Patrician, wanting to know what had happened. "It appears the city is in commotion." He remarked, looking up at the destroyer. "Yes, everyone is saying the grim reaper is back." Patrician explained, shaking his head. "They say when the explosion happened, he came up here to reap the souls of so many. Which is pointless since everyone who was in the water was blasted to smithereens."

"Now darling, some vessels survived the explosion, but they couldn't speak or see with all the chaos. They could be operated, but they couldn't express themselves the way they used to." Hercules explained.

After some discussion, they decided to go and explain to the vessels of Halifax of what had happened. Hopefully, this would dispel rumors from spreading…

-

Back at Bigg City, Ten Cents was helping a cargo vessel when he heard a familiar voice in the distance. The voice was rather scratchy, and a bit oily as well. Once the ship left port, he went to go and confront a maroon buoy with a dark brown fedora. Luckily, the buoy was distracted with talking to a yacht.

"Did you hear? The grim reaper has visited Halifax!" Bob exclaimed, unaware that Ten Cents was listening. "Some say he was killing the salvage and did such a good job that no one heard a peep!"

Ten Cents was befuddled. "A grim reaper?" He snapped, interrupting the conversation between Bob and the yacht. "Bob, I've heard enough of your talking to know it that isn't true! Besides, if a grim reaper did come, how would you know?"

Bob glared at Ten Cents and said, "I ain't making it up this time Star Boy. Besides, I heard it from the Canadian guy over there." Out in the dock was a Canadian tramper, whose face was white as a ghost. "You might want to be a little gentle with me now Star Boy. If he's shook up, then the grim reaper thing is real." Bob sneered, rocking side to side with the current.

Ten Cents shrugged and puffed away, leaving Bob and the yacht behind. However, rumors such as this one normally didn't die down quickly. By the afternoon, all of Bigg City had heard about the grim reaper and what had happened to the Champion.

At the Star Dock, Ten Cents had told the other Star Tugs about his conversation with Bob. "He says a grim reaper came in the dead of night and cut up the Champion. I don't know of this is true, especially since people do the scrapping!"

Big Mac shook his head and said, "Ten Cents, there are many rumors of a grim reaper among ships. Some say he was here collectin' the soul of Krakatoa after the munitions accident. I also heard he collected Big Mickey's soul before the guy was sent to England." This drew gasps from his fleet mates.

"If this grim reaper came here, how would anyone figure it out?" Top Hat asked, raising an eyebrow. "They say he can summon a blanket of fog so thick that only fog lights work. All other sources of light are useless." Big Mac replied, sweat rolling down his forehead.

"That might explain that fog I went through during one of my runs." Warrior chimed in. "Even with my light, I could barely see my stern." "And I could barely see the water." OJ added.

With all this talking, Ten Cents grew even more worried. Perhaps Bob was right, and that he shouldn't have doubted him the way he did. While the rest were arguing about the supernatural, he and Sunshine decided to slip out of the conversation to go speak to the tramper.

They finally made it to the dock, relieved to see that the tramper was still there. "Ten Cents, are you sure this is a good idea?" Sunshine asked. "Even if it might be rude, there's one way to find out." Ten Cents said, cautiously steaming up to the tramper.

"Who are you?" Ten Cents asked, "SS Edmonton, but you may call me Ed." The tramper said, smiling for a second before frowning.

"Is something on your mind?" The switcher inquired, wanting to be kind. Ed nodded and answered, "Lots of things. Suppose it might be time to tell you two what I saw out there on the water."

With a loud sigh, the tramper started his tale. "I was sailing out of the harbor when everything became foggy. I mean, it got so foggy that I could barely see what was ahead. We had to drop anchor and wait it out because I wasn't equipped to go out in fog this thick."

Ten Cents and Sunshine nodded, now picturing the events that happened in their heads. So far, the story was slow and nothing significant was happening.

"I suddenly saw an old fishing vessel break through the fog and shout 'He's come to get me, he's come to get me!' I was startled that he managed to navigate through that fog without proper equipment." He added, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Then, I saw him. I could barely make out the features, but he was cross at the fishing vessel. He turned to look up at me and let out a chuckle so loud and deep that I thought it came from Satan himself."

Ten Cents and Sunshine were alarmed! Never before had they heard of a tug quite like this one. "Do you know what he looked like? Apart from the grin?" Sunshine asked nervously.

Ed thought about it before saying, "He was big. He looked as though he was all black, but the fog may have had something to do with it. However, I do remember him having razor sharp teeth."

Ten Cents now had an idea of what this tug looked like. "Do you know what his name was?" He asked in a calm voice, still wanting to know more. The tramper only shook his head, too traumatised.

The two switchers thanked Ed and decided to head back to the Star Dock. "Now that we know who this grim reaper is, we have to stop him and fast." Ten Cents said. "I don't think that would be a good idea though." Sunshine replied. "This tug was big and had sharp pointy teeth!"

Little did they know that Zip and Zug were watching and had heard everything, and were ready to tell Zorran all about it.

-

Ten Cents and Sunshine, look what you have done. I was originally going to have the Z stacks appear a little bit later, but tension needs to be developed.

Bob is an oc of mine that developed while thinking up of ideas for Wings. He's snarky and loves gossiping with the other boats, and hates Ten Cents because the latter usually calls him a liar. He is friends with the Z Stacks, as hinted by the hat.


	3. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story has some gore, so be warned.

"So the grim reaper was a big boat with sharp teeth, right?" Zorran asked raising an eyebrow. Zip and Zug nodded and eagerly replied, "He was all black since there weren't any sources of light."

"Interesting. That means we can finally finish this dumb spat with the Stars and show them who's boss!" Zak exclaimed, wicked schemes brewing in his head.

Zorran called for order and said, "That might be good, but we won't have any competition for contracts if this plan actually goes through. I will be honest, it's always better when the Stars are around!"

After some arguing, the Z Stacks formed a plan that would give them a much desired advantage. And would get some much needed laughter.

-

It was Hercules's final night in Halifax, and all was quiet in the city. After the Champion incident, many vessels had become unnerved, and did not want to leave the safe confines of the harbor. However, the words spoken by Patrician and a few other navy vessels were enough to soothe some nerves. Hercules was relieved that the rumors had died down, but something inside him was disappointed by this turn of events. Patrician was nice, but he was gullible too. He could easily be persuaded, allowing the ocean tug to do as he wished.

While some Navy vessels were chatting, Hercules slipped under the cover of darkness. He wanted to destress from the work of salvaging Champion, knowing all too well of the horrors he saw from doing this work. The grim reaper's visit made this task more bearable for him, as Champion would not have to be dismantled alive.

He sailed past a rail terminal before a nagging feeling came. The explosion happened several years ago, but something here was calling him go collect. All possible scenarios ran through his head, and he weighed each benefit and cost of doing such an action. He soon gave into those feelings and slipped behind a few derelict buildings.

At the same time, Tiger was out and about doing patrols, making sure no there was nothing out of the ordinary. He looked around, quite relieved that nothing suspicious had caught his eye. However, he heard a strange moaning noise. "Who's there?" He asked, flashing his light towards a building. No answer came, and he grew more suspicious. "If you don't come out, I will have to use force!"

As Tiger searched for a clue as to what the intruder would be, he flashed his light onto a train that was just leaving. He cursed under his breath and kept on investigating. He was always like this, sticking his nose into situations that might be too dangerous for a patrol boat like himself. However, he prided himself in keeping the peace.

He spotted something that threw him off guard. There, near one of the buildings, was a silhouette of a tug. He flashed his light and said, "Hercules! What are you doing all the way out here?"

The ocean tug smiled and replied, "Just admiring the harbor darling. I wanted to explore the city on my own terms, and besides, something about this place draws me here."

Tiger noticed something was off with the tug, and he wanted to know more. Was Hercules doing something that would fly in the face of the law? Was he committing a crime? "It's too unsafe for a tug like yourself to be out here. People say this place is haunted, and for good reason."

Hercules shrugged, now starting to show annoyance. "You're starting to get nervous Tiger." He said, the air growing cold as he spoke those words. "You should resume your patrols and not barge into my affairs. I am capable of defending myself."

Tiger stood his ground, not wanting to budge. "You can't just have Pat around your finger and get away with your shenanigans!" He snapped (or rather blurted out), causing Hercules's face to change from annoyance to anger. "That's called manipulation you good for nothing bas-" However, before the patrol boat could finish his sentence, everything went black.

The next morning, all of Halifax woke up and was horrified to hear what had happened to Tiger. He was found wandering near the rail terminus and received minor damage to his starboard. What made the vessels shocked and appalled was what happened to his face. His eyes were so badly damaged they had to be removed, and men were now in the process of trying to stop fluids from leaking.

"I saw a maroon tug who had a face of pure hatred." Tiger gasped for air, visibly shaken by what had happened. "It wasn't my fault sir!"

"We know Tiger." Patrician sighed, trying to offer words of comfort. However, he was disgusted by what had happened to the patrol boat. "We know. Now get some rest, we'll talk more about it tomorrow."

However, no one noticed that Hercules had slipped away with his fuel barge at the crack of dawn, never to be seen again.

-

A few days later, back in Bigg City, Sunshine was sent to go take Little Ditcher and assist Pearl with oyster fishing. Normally Ten Cents would assist in this sort of work, but a telegram from the logging company forced Captain Starr to send him up river. The smaller switcher didn't mind though, as he could handle the workload without complaining. As he sailed on, he spotted Zip and Zug talking to Bob. The Z Stacks were always causing trouble, and if two of them were talking to their confidante, that made the situation worse.

"Just talking about the grim reaper Sunshine." Zug explained, looking up at Sunshine with a worried look on his face. "They say he was here last night!"

"He was kind of a big di-" Bob was about to say something crude when Zip turned and glared at him. "Well, he was the big deal. He said nothing and hissed loudly."

"Really? Just how do you know hm?" Sunshine asked, raising an eyebrow. "I need to go get Little Ditcher." He hurried along, leaving the Z Stacks and buoy behind.

"YOU DUMBSKULLS!" Bob was livid, especially since he was eager to sway such a young switcher. "You let it get under your noses. Be more genuine!"

"He was urgent in meeting Little Ditcher though!" Zip explained. "At least we got some doubt into the guy."

"Doubt? DOUBT?" Bob got even louder, and his face got red. "Making someone like Baby Face doubt is not the best tool. Or maybe it is, I'm not sure. Now beat it, I gotta get some sleep."

Work with Pearl and Little Ditcher was going smoothly, and Sunshine was quite pleased. However, Zip and Zug's story was starting to gnaw at his mind. He and Ten Cents had heard of Ed and his encounter with the Grim Reaper a few days ago, and now this. Was this Grim Reaper more serious than what he anticipated? And how was he able to get between places so quickly?

It was early evening, and Sunshine had just finished for the day. Pearl had headed home several minutes prior (Big Mac had taken her back). All Sunshine needed to do was take Little Ditcher back to his dock and head back to the Star Dock. Hopefully, this trip should be smooth. As he started his trip back, he noticed that fog started to roll in. He shrugged it off, seeing it as nothing too out of the ordinary.

As he reached the Bigg City boundary, he was greeted by none other than Zug. "Hurry up! Get out of here before the Grim Reaper catches you?" He said, sweating.

"Pardon?" Little Ditcher asked through his megaphone. "Last I checked there wasn't such thing as a-"

"It's real!" Zip barged in, exaggerating a bit. "You got to run!"

Sunshine was alarmed, and he hurried past Zip and Zug into the fog. He had to get back to the Star Dock before the situation worsened. Perhaps the two Z Stacks were right after all!

He dropped Little Ditcher off at his dock before changing coordinates. He had to get back, he had to! He just started when he heard a quiet humming noise. He squeaked and hurried on, not noticing a snickering Zak behind a building.

Zorran was near another corner and watched with glee. So far this plan was working! Soul bubbling with glee, he shouted, "HALT."

Sunshine grinded to a halt, now pale as a ghost. "Huh? Who goes there?" He shrieked, trying to figure out who it was.

"Just stay still won't you?" Zorran said, reducing his voice to a hushed whisper. "Now you stumbled on my domain, and you will pay dearly for that." Those words made the switcher tremble, and tears started to well up.

In the meantime, Hercules returned to Bigg City. He had spent the afternoon with Lillie and told her about his travels to Halifax, calming down when she noticed he was getting frustrated. To be fair, the work of salvaging was stressful. He was just heading back to the Star Dock when he heard a commotion, and decided to investigate.

Just as Sunshine was getting ready to accept his fate, a light flicked on! The light aimed at the two tugs, and Sunshine was shocked to realize that it was Zorran who was making those noises. It took the switcher a minute to figure it out, and realized that the light belonged to-

"Something wrong darlings?" Hercules asked in a flippant tone. However, his face became serious when he noticed he gotten himself into quite the ridiculous situation. "What are you doing Zorran?" He asked, his voice becoming serious.

Zorran paled at those words, knowing how traumatic his first meeting with Hercules was. "Nothing too significant Hercules! We're having a good talk about the grim reaper!" He lied, hoping the ocean tug would believe him and leave. For once. "You shouldn't shove your nose in whenever we do these things."

"Listen, this grim reaper talk is all nonsense. I took a salvage crew that cut Champion up for scrapping during the night since daytime salvages ruin the scenery." He calmly explained before turning his attention to Zorran. His demeanour changed, and the Z Stack swore he heard a low, inhuman growl escape the Star Tug's mouth. Zorran inched back, fearing he pushed Hercules to his limit. Hercules was the strongest tug in Bigg City, and he could easily sink some vessels with his brute strength. The Z Stack closed his eyes, praying that the worst would not happen to him.

Zorran opened his eyes, noticing that Hercules wasn't moving. "I will go easy on you this time old boy, but if you do this again, I won't be as kind." He snapped, glaring at the harbor tug. "For now, I will report you and your captain to the authorities."

Sunshine watched as Zorran glare and take his leave, and turned to face Hercules. The ocean tug looked down and gave a small smile, knowing that this crisis was defused.

Captain Zero had received word of what had happened and scolded his tugs severely. Zorran received the harshest punishment, and would be sent to Mittsville to do some... unpleasant contract work. The other tugs were threatened with getting sold, as their ways of competing often got the company nowhere.

Back at Star and Marine, Captain Starr heard what had happened and told his tugs to be more mature. He explained that ships were usually more superstitious than people, making it difficult for them to work effectively as a team. He then commended Hercules for his work in Halifax, explaining how he did it despite working in a frantic environment. The tugs took this advice with earnest, and watched as the captain left the building and headed home.


	4. The Mystery Begins

A few days had passed since the Z Stacks’ attempted prank, and it was peaceful in Bigg City. Yes, there were still plenty of jobs to do, but no one minded the workload. It felt as though everything had gone back to normal. 

Ten Cents and Sunshine were sent out to go bring Lillie the fuel needed to keep her light going. The barge was not as heavy, which was a welcome relief for them (as opposed to pulling Hercules’ oil barge). As they pressed on, they noticed Hercules heading towards Dender Rocks.

“Where's Herc going?” Ten Cents asked, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe he's on one of his missions.” Sunshine calmly replied. “Someone must have gotten lost and called for help.”

“Or he's paying Lillie a visit.” Ten Cents replied, knowing how… close the two ships were. “C’mon!” With that they changed course and started following Hercules.

Their attempts to pursue the ocean tug were in vain, as a thick cloud of fog had rolled in. The switchers were forced to travel at slower speeds, knowing how hazardous the fog could be for ships like themselves. 

Fortunately, they spotted Izzy Gomez anchored near the edge of the city. Maybe he could offer some assistance in figuring out where Hercules went. “Oy Izzy, have you seen Hercules?” Ten Cents asked, blowing his whistle to catch the tramper’s attention.

Izzy was struggling to fall asleep when he heard a loud whistle. “Ay… Oh it's you two.” He muttered, yawning loudly. “You looking for someone?” The two switchers nodded and told him what had happened with Hercules. “That guy never gives me a tow, but he's busy. Listen, he went over there, and the fog opened up for him.” The tramper explained, recollecting what he had seen. 

“The fog opened up for him?” Ten Cents asked, questioning the tramper’s claims. 

“Sí, sí.” Izzy replied. “The fog opened like a door for him and then closed.” 

The two switchers thanked Izzy and decided to continue on their job of bringing the fuel to Lillie. However, the information Izzy gave them was weighing on their minds. 

“Opening the fog as if it were a door?” Sunshine asked, still processing the information. “Is Izzy trying to play a trick on us?”

“Hercules must have been equipped with a new headlamp recently.” Ten Cents suggested. The idea was out there, but with Hercules calmly going out into the fog, it was plausible. “Or that there's something about our friend that doesn't want to be known.”

A few minutes later, Ten Cents and Sunshine spotted Lillie and steamed up to her. “Ah hello boys!” She smiled and greeted, but her expression changed when she noticed that the two switchers looked down. “Is something on your mind?” 

They told her what happened, explaining how Hercules vanished in the fog. “Do you know if he told you where he was going by any chance?” Ten Cents asked.

“No, no. I saw him when he got back a few days ago, but not this evening.” Lillie answered, shaking her head. “Whenever he heads out to sea, I always assume it's because of a contract that needs to be fulfilled. Or a distress call. He always gets serious about those.”

Ten Cents and Sunshine thanked her, and headed back to port. The fog was thinner than what it was earlier, which made them wonder if a wind had come in and blown the worst of it away. Either way, they still had many questions about what Hercules was doing.

The next morning, Hercules returned to the Star Dock and anchored at one of the piers to rest. Questioning him then and there would have been pointless. And risky. Ten Cents and Sunshine decided that they would ask him in the afternoon, as he would probably wake up by then. 

The switchers were on their way to do some work at the harbor when they spotted Top Hat with Frank and Eddie the car floats. Frank and Eddie were usually having fun teasing the railway tug, but this time, they were serious.

“Ah hey!” Frank said, spotting Ten Cents and Sunshine. “You won't believe what we saw last night. Do you want to know about it?” 

“No… what happened?” Ten Cents asked. The fact the car floats were speaking like this made him very concerned. 

“We saw the Grim Reaper!” Eddie exclaimed. “Toppy says that there isn't one because of the Z Stacks’ prank. However, the guy we saw was bigger than Zorran. And meaner too!”

“Bigger than Zorran?” Sunshine was bewildered by Eddie’s claims and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “What did he look like? If you can remember what he looked like.” 

“We couldn't get a good view because of the fog.” Frank replied in a quiet voice. “He was huge and looked like he was all black. He wasn't too pleased to see us, but he let out a small growl and went on his way. Amazingly, he did know where he was going despite it being very foggy.”

“That is enough you two.” Top Hat snapped before looking at the two switchers with a worried expression on his face. “I apologize if these two were causing you trouble. Apparently a ship got towed to Lucky's last night, but the Coast Guard found him dead by the time they arrived.”

“Dead?!” Ten Cents and Sunshine exclaimed. They couldn't believe it! They thanked Top Hat and headed to the harbor, not wanting to be late.

Work was going smoothly, but the two switchers heard all sorts of rumors from the vessels that were anchored. Yes, some were still bringing up the Z Stacks’ prank, but other conversations were more serious. All were worried, and some from northern and southern harbor cities told them similar stories. The stories about a large tugboat who blended in with the fog. 

Once work was done, Ten Cents and Sunshine headed back to the Star Dock. Much to their relief, Hercules was now awake and was getting cleaned. It would be a good time to talk to him. 

“Oy Herc, did you hear?” Ten Cents asked, puffing up to the ocean tug. “There were some ships that got scared after seeing and hearing what happened last night! A ship was found, but died by the time the Coast Guard arrived.”

“Hu?” He calmly asked. “I had to locate and tow a ship to Lucky’s Yard after he got damaged in a collision with a tramper. I was very saddened when I found him dead. I will admit, it was stressful, but it was not as bad as when I went to salvage and scrap Champion.”

Ten Cents looked at Sunshine, but the other wasn't sure on what to say. “Needless to say, we were very worried for you. We heard about the grim reaper putting the guy out of his misery-”

However, he was silenced with a glare from Hercules. “The grim reaper is a mere fable and that is the end of that.” He explained in a stern voice. “I have dealt with similar rumors up in Halifax, and they were not fun. The head of the Navy up there had to bring order back to the city.”

The switchers wanted to ask more, but Hercules was in no mood for answering such questions. Knowing how unpredictable he got when he was stressed out, pushing the envelope further would be disastrous. They thanked him and set off for their next job.

“Hercules didn't even say anything about how the ship died!” Sunshine whispered. The two sailed past Lucky's Yard and saw the dead ship, and were alarmed to see that the ship only received collision damage. No other physical damage was present, and some workmen were seen scratching their heads. “I know he answers distress calls, but this is something out of the ordinary.”

“He was heading to Dender Rocks as well.” Ten Cents mused, remembering what Izzy had told them the previous night. “Looks like we have a mystery on our hands.”

“A mystery?” The smaller switcher inquired. 

“Yes. If there is such thing as a grim reaper, we've got to stop him before more ships die.” The larger switcher said in a serious tone. “There's no time to lose!”


	5. Isolation

Ten Cents and Sunshine soon started planning on how they would confront the grim reaper. However, they weren't getting far in their efforts to solve the mystery. For a start, they couldn't figure out what exactly he looked like. And why he was going out so late at night. Despite their struggle, the other Star Tugs were very supportive, as the rumors were getting quite… ridiculous.

One evening, Ten Cents steamed up to Hercules to ask him for advice. The ocean tug was very experienced when it came to situations of all types, and how he approached these problems made him respected. “Hey.” He greeted, smiling for a second before frowning. 

“Good evening.” Hercules said, looking down at the switcher. “Is something on your mind old chap? You look like you're very concerned about something.” 

“It's just that me and Sunshine are getting nowhere when it comes to figuring out who the Grim Reaper is.” Ten Cents replied, letting out a heavy sigh. “We all get the same description, but we can't piece together who is who. The fog is not helping us one bit. It's as if he doesn't want to show himself.”

“If that's the case, then why are you still pursuing him then?” Hercules asked, raising an eyebrow. “I don't want to see you or Sunshine get hurt or worse, killed. I've heard stories of vessels who did something similar to what you two did, and it ended badly.”

“Badly?” Ten Cents gasped. Were they sunk? Or did something more sinister happen to them? 

“Yes. They didn't get sent to a watery grave,but received horrific wounds. I wish to go no further with this conversation, these rumors are absurd.” The ocean tug said, tensing up. After a minute of calming down, he whispered, “Forgive me, but I fuss over the safety of you and the others. Take a break from the case if it's stressing you out.” 

Ten Cents nodded and thanked Hercules for his advice before leaving. However, he had a question that was still nagging him. Of all the tugs, why was Hercules being dismissive about the whole thing? Why was he in denial? A scenario played through his head, but he cringed at how horrible the situation would have ended. 

Little did Ten Cents know that Hercules’ words would soon come to pass, and in a way that no one was expecting.

It was near the end of the month, and Ten Cents was sent up to go collect Geir, a whaling vessel who had just arrived from Norway. With foreign ships such as this one, both vessels would have to be quarantined to prevent illnesses from infecting the Bigg City populace. The crew not only had the risk of carrying illnesses, ships also had the risk of carrying diseases that caused a variety of effects from endless rust to suddenly bleeding oil from all parts in their body. Improper quarantine could have disastrous effects, as poor Zorran found out.

Once Geir’s lines were secured and the proper flags were hoisted up, Ten Cents pulled him into the quarantine bay. Along the way, he couldn't help but notice how sickly and pale Geir was. He figured it was due to age, as a lot of ships looked this way before they were retired and scrapped.

The two vessels soon arrived at the quarantine bay, and a Coast Guard vessel was there to greet them. “Welcome to Bigg City- Oh my!” He jumped back, noticing how sickly the whaling vessel was. 

It took a minute for the Coast Guard vessel to regain his composure before saying, “It appears Geir here has a case of the plague. We will have to place him in solitary confinement until the illness passes or he passes. Deceased vessels can still operate, but their spirits remain until their bodies are broken up for scrap. It's a fate worse than death to be honest.” 

Ten Cents cringed at the thought, wondering what would happen if he had the plague. He knew Zorran had to have plague rust scraped off regularly or else it would kill him. If this happened to him, it would have been disastrous. “I might have to be placed in solitary confinement too. He has microbonic plague, and I don't want to go the same way he does.” He sighed in defeat and said. The decision was difficult, but it was for the best.

“Good! I'll notify Captain Starr right away!” The Coast Guard vessel smiled and escorted Ten Cents to a separate pier before heading to the quarantine bay’s main office. 

That evening, Captain Starr gathered his remaining tugs and said with tears in his eyes, “Ten Cents escorted a whaling ship to quarantine earlier today, and the ship has plague. Ten Cents will be placed in quarantine in case he has it too.” The tugs were shocked. All, except for Hercules. 

“Why are you not afraid?” Sunshine whispered, clearly worried for his friend. “I've seen plagued ships so many times I've become used to it.” Hercules replied with a frown. “However, I am very concerned for Ten Cents.”

Once Captain Starr left for home, everyone was silent. However, the mood became depressing as Warrior started bawling, prompting Big Mac and Top Hat to try and comfort him. OJ tried to keep calm, but eventually he too started to sob. 

Hercules chose to remain silent, allowing his comrades to weep and wail. He looked on towards the sea, wondering how Ten Cents was faring.

Ten Cents was now in an isolated shed within the quarantine bay itself, far away from the contact of others. Although it had been a few hours since he was placed in quarantine, he had become miserable and wished that quarantine would end. He looked at a stray health poster on the wall, praying for some relief. 

A few days after Ten Cents was quarantined, Hercules was out near Dender Rocks. He had spent the afternoon with Lillie, and saw her off as she started her shift. Once she was out of his line of sight, he sighed and tried his best to suppress his tears. Although he was being kept busy with work, Ten Cents was still on his mind. If Ten Cents did indeed contract the plague and die, the ocean tug would regret not spending enough time with him.

After thinking about it, he decided to go visit the quarantine bay. It would be risky, yes, but the circumstances left him with no other choice. With a sigh, he let out a few puffs of smoke and set off for the quarantine bay. As the ocean tug sailed on towards his destination, the area became extremely foggy. No one would be able to properly navigate the fog without using bright lights, yet Hercules knew where exactly to turn.

Hercules soon spotted the quarantine bay, and slowed down as to not draw attention from the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard vessels who were patrolling this spot were forced to anchor down, as their lights were not bright enough for this kind of fog. As they remained in their positions, he quietly slipped inside and closed his eyes. 

Ten Cents was trying his best to not cry when a voice pierced the air. It was soft and gentle, hoping to ease the switcher’s nervousness. “Hush little one, don't you cry.”

Ten Cents looked around nervously, wondering who uttered those words. A few tears welled up, and he asked, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“My name is Hades.” The voice purred, and a large tug emerged from the fog. His features were hidden in the fog, making him appear as if he were a ghost. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“How can you slip through? I mean, how come you're not sick?” Ten Cents asked in a shaky voice, tears rolling down his face. It was pointless to suppress his tears at this point. 

“Illness has lost its effect on me.” Hades said with a sigh, inching closer to the shed where the switcher was bring kept. He quickly noticed that the door was slightly ajar, and stopped moving. “Hush my little angel, it will get better soon.” He gently whispered, letting out a few puffs of smoke from his stack.

The smoke snaked through the crack in the door and around the switcher, gently wiping his tears off of his face. Ten Cents was bewildered, but started calming down at the touch. For some odd reason, the smoke felt like human hands. “Why are you here then?” He asked, looking at the door. “Are you an angel?”

“No, far from that to be exact. However, I won't hesitate to provide you comfort in such a trying time.” Hades smiled, the smoke dissipating as he spoke. Once Ten Cents stopped crying, he noticed that Hades had vanished. He got uneasy for a second, but he quietly and quickly went to sleep.

As Ten Cents was fast asleep, he had a nagging feeling come to him. For whatever reason, Hades’ voice reminded him of a tug he knew very well, but he couldn't exactly remember who…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the first appearance of the mysterious, yet brutal Hades. But... who is Hades exactly?


	6. Thoughts and Concerns

The next morning, Sunshine was sailing past Lucky's Yard when he overheard an argument. He came over and spotted Zip and a yacht, and it was clear the latter was unhappy.

"Morning Sunshine." Zip said, smiling sheepishly. He wasn't feeling his best, but he wanted to be nice. Especially after the prank going so horribly wrong.

"What happened?" Sunshine asked, alarmed to see what he was seeing. "I know it got very foggy around here last night, but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad."

"I didn't look where I was going and hit this guy." Zip explained, looking at the yacht. "My light was useless since the fog was so thick."

"Says the guy with no sense of direction!" The yacht snapped. "I was heading back too, but I saw a big tug who was sailing past me. Then this guy came over and smashed me!"

"You ran into me!" Zip snapped, having had enough of the yacht's bantering. "I don't like yachts, they're mean." He whined, turning to Sunshine.

"Big tug? Are you sure it wasn't Zip?" Sunshine asked the yacht, raising an eyebrow. The fact that the yacht saw something off was giving him chills. "What did it look like?"

"He was big, I'm pretty sure he was yellow too, I don't remember. I know you guys have much better equipment than I do, but he was able to navigate without getting hurt." The yacht explained, trying to remember what had happened.

Sunshine realized he was going to be late and thanked the yacht before hurrying to his destination. However, he wanted to know what had happened. He soon arrived at The rail dock, where a certain railway tug was waiting for him.

"You are late." Top Hat said, looking down at the smaller switcher. "What took you so long to get here anyway?"

"I'm sorry Top Hat, it's that I saw Zip at Lucky's Yard." Sunshine explained, hoping the larger tug would believe him and not scrutinize him. "He got into a collision with a yacht last night!"

"What was Zip doing last night anyway that he hit a yacht? Especially in fog that thick?" The railway tug inquired, raising an eyebrow. "He wasn't doing anything illegal, was he?"

"Nothing as far as I know." Sunshine replied, looking at his reflection in the water. "The yacht said something about seeing a large tug wandering around."

Top Hat rolled his eyes and said, "I was already at the Star Dock when the fog rolled in. Maybe ask the others if they were out and about at the time the fog rolled in?"

Sunshine nodded, and the two got to work straightaway. However, he had lots of things going through his mind. Not only was the collision weighing down on him, Ten Cents was also a major concern. Hopefully his friend would be safe and not sick…

Meanwhile, at the quarantine bay, an inspector had been called in. Geir's condition had worsened over the course of the week, and they decided to place the vessel in palliative care as they figured he would not last much longer.

On the other hand, Ten Cents was doing rather well, which surprised everyone. He had exhibited no symptoms of the plague, and looked a lot better than what he was when he started his quarantine. Now, an all clear from the inspector was needed.

"Are you sure this switcher should go home?" The inspector asked one of the workers at the quarantine bay, carrying a small clipboard. "Especially since he has been here almost a week?"

"Yes sir. He exhibited homesickness, but nothing else." The worker explained, gesturing to Ten Cents. "He's far better off than that one harbor tug who got sent here a few months back. And a lot more cooperative too."

"I see. I'll speak to your manager and ask for his approval." The inspector said, walking out of the shed and towards the office.

It was early evening, and Sunshine was returning to the Star Dock after a long day of work. He was near Sally's hangar when he caught hold of a nasty smell. He cringed at the smell, and he turned to see that it was-

"Well if it isn't Sunshine!" Zorran called, glaring at Sunshine. "Because of you, Captain Zero had me do the crap contract!"

The crap contract was the nickname given to Zero and Marine's sewage contract. It involved the tug having to haul a barge full of sludge and whatever else that had gotten in the sewer system to a treatment facility in Mittsville. The work was slow and incredibly smelly, and if one wasn't careful, they would get splashed with sludge. Because none of the Z Stacks wanted to do this work willingly, Captain Zero used this contract as punishment.

"Go away Zorran." Sunshine snapped, not budging the slightest. He was in no mood to be bothered and teased like this. "Besides, you wanted to do this for fun! And you're probably going to do it right now!"

"I'm not going to tease ya or anything like that." The harbor tug explained, wanting to be friendly. The latest encounter with Hercules was still on his mind, and he did not want to incur the ocean tug's wrath. "I wanted to know what happened to Zip, that's all. And I'm not making any of this up, I swear."

"Zip? Well he was at Lucky's for repairs. He collided with a yacht last night." Sunshine answered, realizing that Zorran was being honest and not looking to pick a fight with him. "Why do you ask?"

"Captain Zero wanted to have a word with him since he has to pay repair fees and all that." Zorran replied. "He was pretty cross about the whole thing too."

"I spoke to them earlier today, and he looked fine." The switcher replied. "I can take you over there if you would like me to."

Zorran nodded, and the two set off for Lucky's Yard. When they arrived, they spotted Captain Zero talking (or rather arguing) with one of the workers. And he was not happy at all.

"My tugs are not exactly the murderous type, I can assure you." Captain Zero told the worker, shooing some crows away from him. "I'll have a word with Zip. Maybe drive common sense into him."

"You still have to pay the repair fee Captain Zero. And compensate the owner of the yacht for the damage your tug did to him." The worker replied, folding his arms and glaring at the Captain. "Especially since the yacht stopped breathing earlier this afternoon."

Stopped breathing? The exact phrase was very troubling. Sunshine looked at the yard and noticed that it was covered in crows. Many were perched on the yacht, and cawed at anyone who dared tried to step aboard. While Captain Zero and the worker were arguing, the switcher slipped away.

As Sunshine was heading back to the Star Dock, he spotted Hercules. He looked a lot more cheerful than what he had been the past few days, so a quick chat was in order. "Oh hello Hercules!" He greeted, blowing his whistle to catch the other's attention. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting something from the fueling depot, that's all." Hercules smiled and answered. "What brings you here my little sunbeam?"

"I had to take Zorran to Lucky's Yard. Zip got into a collision with a yacht last night, and a worker said the yacht stopped breathing." Sunshine replied, sighing heavily. "The whole thing is confusing to say the least."

Hercules became serious and said, "Zip and the yacht are both at fault then. They shouldn't have even been out at all, considering how thick the fog was." With a sigh, he said, "I should get going, I cannot afford to be late. There is something waiting for you at the Star Dock."

"Something?" Sunshine asked, now curious.

"Mhm! I'll see you later on this evening." The ocean tug smiled and said. "Cheers!" With that, Hercules left.

Sunshine was now heading to the Star Dock, and was wondering what was there. His thoughts stopped when he heard a loud bellowing noise, and turned to see a massive flock of crows flap away from Lucky's. As he watched, a troubling thought came to him. Did Hercules have something to do with the collision between Zip and the yacht? That would explain why he was in a hurry, but something wasn't adding up.

When Sunshine arrived, he was still trying to process his thoughts. However, his attention turned to something that made his face go from concern to shock and then joy. "Ten Cents! You're back!" He exclaimed, steaming up to his friend.

"I am! It feels good to be back, especially after being quarantined!" Ten Cents chuckled, watching Sunshine steam up to him. "How have you been?"

"Doing good. However, I was very worried for you while you were gone." Sunshine replied, tears of joy rolling down his face.

"Worried is an understatement!" O.J. chuckled, steaming up to the switchers. "Don't mind me, I'm celebrating with you!"

Big Mac, Warrior, and Top Hat soon came in, making the reunion worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes and headcanons:
> 
> * The sewage contract was originally something a bit more unpleasant, but I changed it after speaking to Nef (NefariousScalin).
> 
> * Hercules has personalized nicknames for each of the Star Tugs. "My little sunbeam" is his nickname for Sunshine


	7. The Deal

The next morning, Hercules was sailing up the coastline, wondering what was needed from him this time. Just an hour earlier, Captain Starr received a message from a Canadian company about an escort into port, and the company was willing to pay good money for it. No specific details of what ship (or ships) that he was supposed to escort were given, making him genuinely curious. He soon spotted a group of ships that were painted white and blew his whistle to draw their attention. "Hullo! Do you need help getting somewhere?" He asked politely.

"Chto- Yes, yes!" One of the vessels replied in a thick Russian accent. "I am Ded Moroz, and you must be- Oh my!" He gasped, reading the name on Hercules' starboard. "Apologies, but we all heard of your fame from a few-"

"No need to gush lapochka." Hercules chuckled and smiled, knowing how many vessels had heard his name. "Where are you all heading to anyway?"

The vessel was impressed by the ocean tug's use of Russian and answered, "We're heading to Bigg City! Lots of icebergs mean business for the White Fleet."

"The White Fleet? I am not too familiar with them, so I may need some explanation." Hercules replied, spotting the company insignia on their flags (he couldn't find any insignia on their stacks).

"We're painted white like the ice! Our owners want us to be one with the ice or whatever bull-" A second vessel explained, showing annoyance as he spoke.

"Do not swear." Ded Moroz snapped, glaring at the second vessel. "Apologies Hercules, but we turn off engines to listen for ice. Once we hear ice, we record it and transmit information to other ships! They know when ice is in the area!"

Hercules listened with interest. "I figure reports of ice brought you down here. Come on m'dears, I'll take you to port." He said, and started making his way back to Bigg City. The White Fleet were impressed with his manners and followed him with much enthusiasm.

As they got close to the city, Hercules learned more and more about the White Fleet. However, one detail they mentioned caused something inside him to stir with great interest. "We have been contracted by Bigg City Museum to find galleon." Ded Moroz explained, a big smile on his face. "They will turn it into display for all to see!"

Burke and Blair were on their way to collect some discarded boat parts when they spotted Hercules and the White Fleet. Intrigued, they started to eavesdrop on the conversation and were surprised by what they heard.

"Galleon? That means-" Burke started, eyes widening.

"More wealth for us." Blair added, smiling wickedly.

After the O.J. incident, the breaker's yard Burke and Blair worked at had taken a financial hit. Their owners were struggling to attract companies who were willing to let them cut up their old vessels, and there was a real risk of the two tugs being sold in order to make ends meet. They spotted Hercules and felt themselves get drawn to him. He was in fine shape, but that wasn't the reason why. Something about him inspired fear, and they liked it.

Just as Burke and Blair got close, one of the other White Fleet tugs spotted the pair and sounded the alarm. "Ay, what are you two doing?" He said, and the scrappers stopped in their tracks. "Moroz! We got rivals!"

"Rivals?" Blair asked, inching back nervously.

"We're not your rivals!" Burke replied, trying to challenge the tug's claims. "We're ordinary tugs, not some competition for you lot. Shoo!"

Hercules rolled his eyes and told the White Fleet to keep going. Picking a fight then and there would have been bad for both Star and Marine and the White Fleet's owners. The White Fleet tugs nodded and hurried on to catch up to Hercules, leaving Burke and Blair behind. The two tugs shrugged and decided to follow the group.

Half an hour later, the White Fleet arrived at their intended destination. Hercules was getting ready to head back to the Star dock when he spotted Burke and Blair heading towards him again. He was incredibly disappointed to say the least, and was now ready to use whatever was necessary to get them to leave. Violence was a no no, but some well-placed words would do.

"Alright you two, explain yourselves." Hercules snapped, glaring at the two scrappers. This was enough to get Burke and Blair to stop in their tracks. "There has to be some reason for why you two keep following me around. It's getting on my nerves!"

"We overheard that someone was looking for a galleon. We wanted to-" Blair explained, sweat rolling down his face.

"I know you two are interested in wealth, especially after what you tried to do to O.J." Hercules interrupted, not in the mood for being reasoned with. "If you boys keep on behaving like this, that breaker's yard of yours will be a ghost town in a matter of days. Now beat it!"

The two tugs glared at Hercules and took their leave. A wicked idea soon came into the ocean tug's head, one that he sometimes used to get what he wanted. If he wanted Burke and Blair to be of any use to him in finding the galleon, he had to do it. "Hold on, stop!" He said, catching the attention of the two scrappers with a blast of his whistle. "There is someone who is just as interested in the galleon as the museum is."

"And who might that be?" Burke asked, turning to face the ocean tug with a face of doubt. "What does he look like?"

"He prefers to not show his face. He's shy." Hercules replied, pleased that Burke and Blair were now giving him their undivided attention. "I am what you call a spokesman."

"A spokesman?!" Blair and Burke were intrigued by this information. They looked at each other before looking back at Hercules and asking, "Say, what business does he have sending you out here then? To ask us of all tugs?"

Hercules smirked and replied, "My friend promises you two wealth if you find the galleon and bring it to him. However, there is one condition. You will need to work with the White Fleet in order for the deal to happen."

"What?" Blair asked, confused by what Hercules has told them. "How come?"

"My friend and I both have other affairs to attend to. We do not want to get our hands dirty should worse come to worse." Hercules explained, getting ready to leave for the Star Dock. "Also, it would be a good way for you two to make up with the White Fleet, especially after what you tried to do earlier."

The two tugs nodded obediently, and watched as Hercules steamed away. Once Hercules disappeared from their line of sight, Blair and Burke quickly headed back to the breaker's yard. They were quite pleased, as they hoped that the deal would bring something beneficial for them.

That night, Ten Cents and Sunshine were heading back to the Star Dock after bringing Lillie her fuel. The waters were calm, but everything was covered in a blanket of fog. With this sort of weather, not a lot of vessels were out and about. Besides, the switchers figured, those vessels didn't want to end up like Zip and the yacht.

Once they dropped off the empty fuel barge at the fueling depot, they were getting ready to head home when they spotted Hercules. Ten Cents was intrigued, and motioned for Sunshine to follow him. Hopefully, the fog wouldn't thwart their efforts in pursuing him this time. As the switchers sailed on, the fog grew thicker. They kept on, that was, until Hercules stopped.

In a panic, Ten Cents and Sunshine hid behind a building. They weren't even sure if Hercules knew he was being followed. If he was, they would get a scolding or worse depending on how he was feeling. It took Ten Cents a moment to realize where Hercules was heading. "Why's Herc going to the breaker's yard? He isn't even sick!" He exclaimed.

"Or dying!" Sunshine added. "We've got to stop him before it's too late!" With that, the two switchers continued their pursuit. However, they were soon forced to slow down when they noticed the fog become extraordinarily thick. It would be too risky to continue on without getting damaged. Discouraged, the two switchers headed home.

At the breaker's yard, Burke and Blair were sound asleep. They had gotten scolded by their owners earlier for the delay in collecting the discarded boat parts, but that wasn't on their minds. Instead, their main focus was on what Hercules's friend had in store for them. Suddenly, they were awoken by a (somewhat) gentle gust of wind.

Blair opened his eyes, and noticed that the breaker's yard was covered in fog. In an instant, a large tugboat appeared at the entrance of the yard. He quickly woke Burke up, and he whispered, "Someone's here. I don't know who." He then looked at the tug and said, "The yard is closed sir. Please leave!"

"I apologize for the intrusion." The tug said, his voice quiet but harsh. "I am looking for Burke and Blair, if that isn't too much of a bother. I have a message."

"That will be us!" Burke answered, now wade awake. "What business do you need from us?"

The tug smiled and replied, "You may call me Hades. My friend Hercules told me about you two. I am here to speak about the galleon and what comes with that."

"Are… are you going to help us then Hades?" Blair asked, the question on his mind. "With finding the galleon I mean. "

"Yes, Hercules told you two to work with the White Fleet to find the galleon. However, I am willing to give you two aid." Hades said in an oily voice. "After all, I can't leave you two hanging by a thread."

Blair was impressed, and was satisfied with the information. However, Burke was not as pleased. "Now, what do we do once we find the galleon and bring it to you?" He asked.

"I do my work, and the museum will have it afterwards." Hades replied before asking,"Do we have a deal?" His eyes started to glow, and they pierced through the thick fog, almost blinding Burke and Blair. "Or do you two need time to think? I'll be patient."

After a minute, Burke and Blair came to a decision and said in unison, "Yes! We'll do what you say!"

Hades' mouth curved into a wide grin when he heard those words. He now got them where he wanted them to be. Without saying anything else, he vanished into the night. The fog quickly dissipated, and Burke and Blair watched as the fog formed a grin before drifting away with the wind. They took it as a sign that Hades was willing to help them out, and went back to sleep with grins on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes:
> 
> \- lapochka is a term of endearment in Russian (it means darling)
> 
> \- Ded Moroz is Father Frost, the Russian version of Santa Claus. Considering that the White Fleet works in snowy and icy conditions, I felt this name would be appropriate for a tug working in the White Fleet 
> 
> -in this au, the White Fleet tugs have faces


	8. The White Fleet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts is one of my favorite Tugs episodes, and I wanted to use the events of the episode at some point in Death on the Water. I also wanted to explain the events of the episode within the story itself, such as the sudden storm and the Face of Neptune. 
> 
> I also threw in Scuttlebutt Pete (or at least his operator), and added my own hcs about him.

It was the second week of October, and Bigg City was hit by a cold snap. The weather was normally temperate during this time of year, but temperatures dropped down to freezing. To make matters worse, Mittsville and some of the smaller towns Up River were covered in a blanket of snow. As a result, people were saying that winter had come early. The tugs did not mind the cold weather, but they were annoyed at how it was affecting their contracts.

During this time, Burke and Blair were starting to make progress with making friends with the White Fleet. Relations were starting to improve to say the least, but many of the White Fleet tugs did not trust Burke and Blair. After some words from Ded Moroz and the Museum, the breaker tugs now had a job. If they helped bring the galleon in, they would earn some of the money promised by the Museum. The breaker tugs took this as a sign that Hades was helping them, and they smiled as they hurried back home.

That night, some chunks of ice floated down near Bigg City. The White Fleet were ready to go, with the mission of transmit the information via Morse Code. They sailed on from the pier to check on the ice, unaware that they were being followed. Hercules watched their actions with great interest, hoping he would see the galleon amongst the chunks of ice. However, he did not want to get caught by the White Fleet and reported to the Port Authority. Instead, he closed his eyes and strayed near some rocks, the area around him and the tugs getting extremely foggy.

"Ded Moroz, I think we should turn back." A White Fleet tug whispered, sweating nervously. He was the first to notice that the light blanket of fog had suddenly become thick, and it was clear that he was worried. "This fog is becoming way too dangerous for us!"

The lead tug shrugged off the concerns, and sailed on. They were soon forced to turn on their lights, as there was the real risk of colliding with other vessels in the area. They turned off their engines, listening for cracks in the ice. No one made a sound, not wanting to make mistakes when it came to transmitting the information to other vessels. It made the White Fleet almost look like ghosts.

At the same time, Scuttlebutt Pete's operator (who was named Pete) was walking along the pier. Although he was friends with the Star Fleet, he liked to snoop in and gossip on their affairs. It was his nature after all! As Pete walked on, he cursed under his breath about how thick the fog was. Then, he saw them.

The White Fleet were now close to the pier where Pete was on, tracking the ice and transmitting the information as needed. He did a double take, wondering if what he was seeing was real. After a minute, he paled, realizing that what he was seeing was no mere fantasy. To make matters worse, he spotted a maroon tug getting close to the White Fleet. Pete gasped and ran for his life, screaming, "Ghosts! Ghosts in the harbor!"

The next morning, Big Mac was doing some dredging with Scuttlebutt Pete in tow. As the harbor tug was working, he couldn't help but notice that the normally chatty operator of the dredger was quiet. After a minute, he asked, "Are ye alright Pete? You look like you saw a ghost!"

Pete answered with, "I did see ghosts! A whole group of them! They were bright white and came out of the fog, looking for lost souls."

"Pete, you were probably drunk!" Big Mac huffed, not believing the operator (Pete had a tendency to drink). "If ye saw ghosts, what would they have looked like though?"

"These weren't the ghosts of sailors!" The man said, getting more and more nervous as he spoke. "These ghosts were the ghosts of tugboats! I thought they lost their faces too!"

"Faceless ghost tugs? At the dead of night?" Big Mac was confused by Pete's claims. "Petey, what exactly did they look like though? Did they have megaphones at least?"

"As far as I could tell, no." Pete replied with a shrug. Non-sentient vessels were required to have megaphones, as living vessels could not understand humans when they spoke at a normal volume. Megaphones gave humans the relief of speaking to living vessels without their voices going hoarse. If these tugs lacked megaphones, they would have been deemed a safety hazard and detained by the Port Authority.

Pete's answer was very concerning. Big Mac normally did not believe whatever words came out of the man's mouth, but this story was convincing. Once dredging was finished, Big Mac took Scuttlebutt Pete back to the dock and went to go tell the others about what happened. Hopefully they would take him seriously, especially with rumors of the grim reaper still swirling around.

At the Star Dock, Ten Cents and Sunshine were getting their afternoon assignments when they saw Big Mac return.

"Scuttlebutt Pete saw a ghost last night." Big Mac replied, his voice becoming rather quiet as he spoke. "Or rather, a ghost fleet."

The news was troubling to say the least. "A ghost fleet?" Top Hat asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow. "Were they one of Pete's drunken tales? Or was it another ruse by the Zeds?"

"It wasn't a ruse lad." Big Mac replied. "He was still sweatin' bullets over it when I spoke to him this morning. And he looked sober too."

"Ghost fleet?" O.J. asked, processing the information. After a moment, he came to a conclusion. "They must have been the ghosts of those caught up in The Storm of 1912!"

"The Storm of 1912?" Ten Cents asked. "The only notable maritime tragedy we know of from that year was the sinking of the Titanic! What was it anyway?"

"Well you see…" O.J. said, and soon started his his tale. "Four tugs were sailing home to Bar Harbor after they completed an important contract here in Bigg City. They were caught up in a wicked storm while en route and never made it home. They all sank, and the bodies of their crews were never found. They say they still sail that route, always disappearing when they get close to home."

"That story is ludicrous!" Top Hat snapped. "If such a thing happened, why wasn't it recorded and published in our newspapers?"

"They did record it. They even did a search for survivors and all!" O.J. replied, and an argument soon broke out between the paddle wheel tug and the railway tug. Ten Cents and Sunshine decided to slip away, wanting to get their assignments done.

"Ghost tugs?" Sunshine asked, his head spinning at the information. It was all very new to him after all. "Don't you think the grim reaper has something to do with it?"

"Wouldn't be surprised at this point." Ten Cents replied, looking ahead. "He might be using the ghosts to cover up for his actions. Or they're his minions."

"Minions?" The smaller switcher was intrigued. However, his train of thought was interrupted when he spotted Pete eating his lunch. "We should ask Pete himself what happened. After all, he saw the ghosts first!" He said, looking up to Ten Cents.

Ten Cents agreed, and they steamed up to Pete. "Hey Pete, we need to ask you something!" He said, blowing his whistle to draw the man's attention. "It's about last night!"

Pete almost spat out his lunch at the blast of the whistle, and grabbed his megaphone. "Sorry Ten Cents, let a man eat first!" He said, wiping crumbs off. "What did ya need anyway?"

"The ghosts!" Ten Cents answered, looking at the dredger. "We have a question about the ghosts you saw last night."

"I figure Mac already told you." Pete replied, placing his lunchbox down. "Why'd you come here and ask then?"

"We wanted to know if the grim reaper is involved too!" Sunshine answered, and told Pete about the grim reaper and what they were trying to do to stop him. He also told Pete about the numerous rumors they heard from the other vessels. "We think he's using the ghosts as a decoy! Or they're his goons!"

"Well, I did see a maroon tug when I spotted the ghosts. But I don't remember much about him." Pete said, recollecting the information he had. "I heard stories that the grim reaper often works alone, so he must have been trying to reap the ghosts I saw!"

Reap the ghosts? It now clicked! Ten Cents and Sunshine were pleased with this information, and it helped that Pete always tried to stay up to date with what was happening (even if he was wrong most of the time). "We have to get going. Thanks Pete!" The switchers said in unison, heading off to their next assignment.

"Good luck kids!" Pete said, waving them off before going back to his lunch. "I hope they succeed…"

Little did everyone know that Hercules had heard everything. He was on his way to speak to Lillie when he caught wind of the conversation, and had slipped behind some buildings to listen. One half of him was panicking, as he didn't want the truth about the maroon tug and the ghosts to come out. The other half wanted him to punish Ten Cents and Sunshine. They were his friends, but they were starting to catch on when it came to his habits. A few minutes later, the temperature dropped, becoming almost unbearable for anyone who was outside. Hercules came out of his hiding spot, looking around before heading towards the pier where Lillie was anchored at. Hopefully this weather change would prevent anyone else from snooping in.

That evening, the White Fleet were getting ready for their patrols. Burke and Blair were nearby, equipped with a barge for transporting the galleon. "Now, we need you two to come along with us this time." Ded Moroz said, looking at the tugs. "We had thick fog last night, so we need you two as backup in case we run into trouble."

Burke and Blair nodded, but they couldn't help but see a larger tug in the distance. They they figured that it was Hades, but didn't alert the White Fleet about him. After all, he made that promise to assist them with finding the galleon when the deal was made. Once everything was finalized, the group set off.

Hercules watched the group set off into the night, and quietly followed them. With a few puffs of smoke, the area became shrouded in a thick coat of fog. No one would be able to track him or his movements now. And hopefully, he wouldn't get anyone to pursue him this time.

As the White Fleet sailed on, they turned on their lights to find and locate the ice. However, with each turn they made to find the ice, they scared vessels instead. The tugs tried to show that they were harmless, but their replies were in vain as one vessel after another hurried away from them.

After a hilarious incident involving Zorran and Izzy Gomez, one of the White Fleet tugs had enough. "Why is everyone getting scared of us?" He asked. "We mean no harm! And we aren't getting anywhere with finding the ice!"

Ded Moroz was not happy, and silenced his subordinate with a stare. "We will find that iceberg, even if those- Good Lord!" He was interrupted when he spotted something odd in the distance. It looked like a tugboat, one with maroon paint. Ded Moroz, like many others, had heard stories of a maroon tug. He soon shouted, "Run away! The reaper is here!"

At the same time, Ten Cents and Sunshine were towing a fuel barge to Lillie Lightship. Although the weather was foggy, they were determined to make it to their destination. Suddenly, they saw a group of white tugs hurrying off, and a weird shape in the fog! "It must be the ghosts! And the reaper too! Let's blow our hooters to scare them off!" Ten Cents suggested.

While all of this was happening, Hercules had gotten incredibly close to the iceberg. He was excited to say the least, and was pleased that he would work with no interruptions. However, he stopped when he heard the whistles of two familiar tugs. Those must have been Ten Cents and Sunshine! He quickly realized that if they saw him like this, he would be detained or worse, destroyed. His options were running out too, making the situation worsen. He soon settled on one option, one that would certainly scare them off.

As Ten Cents and Sunshine inched closer to the shape in the fog, they were shocked to see a galleon emerge from the water. They watched as the ghostly white tugs turn around, apparently having heard their comments about the galleon. Then, an explosion happened, followed by lightning!

The switchers were frozen in fear, and couldn't move. The clouds around them contorted into a face, one that was angry. The switchers swore they could hear demonic laughter, but with the rumbling of thunder, they couldn't tell. Once the storm ended, Ten Cents and Sunshine hurried back to Bigg City, not caring about Lillie and her fuel at this point. They sailed past the white tugs, not giving much attention to them at this point.

The next morning, the Star Tugs were gathered together at the Star Dock, relating their experiences of the night before to each other. Ten Cents and Sunshine were also scolded by Captain Starr for failing to do the fuel delivery, as many ships would have been put in danger if Lillie ran out of fuel.

"The ghosts were calm, and they weren't afraid of us!" Ten Cents exclaimed. "When we saw them, we also saw a large shape in the-"

However, the switcher was interrupted when Hercules blasted his whistle and steamed in. "Something wrong? You all looked like you're scared out of your wits!" He asked, noticing the concerned expressions on their faces. The other tugs told him of their encounters with the ghost tugs, and he said, "That must have been the White Fleet you saw. They came down here to track a galleon on behalf of the Bigg City Maritime Museum!"

As he explained the details of last night to the other Star Tugs, he noticed his comrades' expressions change from fear to relief. He now had one less thing to worry about now. However, he was disappointed to see how his friends fell for the ghost stories. He expected better of them! This was Bigg City, not Halifax!

O.J. noticed this and asked in a calm voice, "Are you alright lad? You look like you're bothered about something."

Hercules said, "I'm fine old darling. Just a little tired, that's all." He was very good at lying and concealing how he truly felt. The way the other Stars described the thick fog to him made him panic. If they investigated further, they would have doomed themselves. He also couldn't help but glance at Burke and Blair as they towed the galleon to the breaker's yard.

"Ten Cents and I also saw the face of Neptune himself! Crown and all!" Sunshine exclaimed, wanting an opinion on what he and his friend saw. After all, no one was able to properly explain it.

"I doubt you you saw Neptune Sunshine. After all, he is from fairy tales." Hercules said in a soft voice, assuring the switcher that it was just an illusion. "You must have seen storm clouds, and sometimes people make clouds into all sorts of shapes." This made Sunshine sigh a breath of relief.

Deep down, Hercules was not happy at all. He was rather furious in fact. As he watched the other Star Tugs leave for contract work, he couldn't help but glare at Ten Cents and Sunshine. The switchers got close to uncovering the truth of what he had done after all. He had no choice but to play more dangerous cards.

There was no going back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ten Cents and Sunshine, you're taking on a foewho won't go down easily...


	9. The Reaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does have some death, as well as graphic depictions of illness. I also went in a little bit with the tug version of plague, and it isn't limited to rust. As seen in the chapter, a victim will become weak and covered in sores.

Later on that afternoon, Hercules had finished getting cleaned and sailed to the breaker's yard. He had a feeling the galleon that Burke and Blair hauled in was dead, but its soul still lingered. Hopefully it would be released with all the rotting wood being removed and replaced. Once he arrived, his suspicions were confirmed. Men were already at work slowly dismantling the galleon, and a strange light was coming from within the breaker's yard.

He carefully entered, not wanting to catch the workers off guard. The light in the breaker's yard soon faded, meaning that the vessel's spirit could rest in peace. Relieved that nothing else was required of him, Hercules pressed on. He reached Burke and Blair and said, "Hello gents."

"Good afternoon. Do you need anything from us?" Burke asked, giving a small courtesy bow to Hercules. Blair said nothing, as he was tasked with making sure the men would not slip off the galleon.

"I bring news from my friend." The ocean tug replied, giving a courtesy bow as well. "He is pleased with you two finding the galleon. However, he has another favor to ask of you two. He uses crows to find someone who is dead or dying, but birds have such short lifespans that he thinks he can use you two to help him find those who are close to death. Would you be willing to do it?"

At the same time, Ten Cents and Sunshine were taking a break in between harbor contracts when they spotted a group of white tugs. They figured it must have been the White Fleet that Hercules was talking about. After a minute, they decided to go up and talk to them. Hopefully, all would be forgiven.

"Hello!" Ten Cents greeted, looking at the White Fleet. "Look, we wanted to talk to you guys about last night. On behalf of the Star Fleet, we're-"

"No need to drag on!" Ded Moroz chuckled, turning to face the switchers. "We apologize for giving you guys a fright. It's all a misunderstanding!"

"We weren't trying to scare you." Another White Fleet tug added, looking at the switchers. "Around the time we ran into each other, we saw a maroon tug and ran off in fear! Moroz thinks that the maroon tug is the same vessel as the grim reaper, but that's his assumption, not mine."

"Maroon tug?!" Ten Cents was intrigued! In a hushed voice, he asked, "What was a maroon tug doing all the way down here then? And close to our waters too?"

"We were wondering the same thing." Ded Moroz explained, becoming serious. "Last month, he got very close to where we're based at. He went to Halifax, no one knows why. However, he blinded a patrol boat named Tiger!"

Ten Cents and Sunshine went into a panic. "Hercules was up in Halifax around the same time the maroon tug was spotted!" Sunshine exclaimed. "He didn't mention anything about a maroon tug to us while he was there!"

"That was because he left around the time the maroon tug was spotted." Ded Moroz said, letting out a heavy sigh. "Tiger says that he saw the tug moments before he was blinded, but no one has ever found him. Government dismissed it as a collision with a platform. It doesn't help that the maroon tug uses weather to cover his tracks."

"Ded Moroz, what makes you think that the maroon tug is the grim reaper?" Sunshine asked, thinking about what the other tug had said. "After all, Hercules told me about how there were rumors of a grim reaper up in Halifax. The Navy had to restore order as well."

"Must be their power to control weather patterns. The grim reaper uses fog, the maroon tug uses storms. Or so they say." Ded Moroz replied. "Be careful young ones, they are both dangerous. Very dangerous."

"Will do. Thank you!" Ten Cents replied, seeing the White Fleet off. Once they disappeared, he let out a defeated sigh. "We're never going to get anywhere at this point Sunshine. The grim reaper is having us stumped!"

However, Sunshine realized that something wasn't adding up. "Hey Tenny, you know how Ded Moroz said about Hercules leaving around the time the maroon tug was spotted? I just remembered the time I saw Herc a few weeks ago He said he was on his way to the fuelling depot, but I saw a massive flock of crows fly away from Lucky's a few minutes after I saw him!"

Ten Cents gasped at this information. "Don't you think-" He was about to ask the unthinkable when he felt the water get choppy. "C'mon Sun, it's starting to get stormy. We better get back to the harbor." Sunshine pouted, but his friend was right.

When they returned to the harbor, they immediately got to work on their next contract. However, the grim reaper was still on their minds. As they were working, they spotted Grampus towing a broken down passenger ferry back to her dock. Hopefully he could help them.

"Oy Grampus, we need to speak to you!" Ten Cents said rather loudly to draw the submarine's attention. "Do you mind chatting with us for just a few minutes?"

"Yes of course!" Grampus replied. "Just let me finish this towing job first and I'll speak to you guys then." The switchers nodded and went back to work, waiting for Grampus to finish.

Once the tow was complete, Grampus floated up to Ten Cents and Sunshine. "What do you two need? You looked like you needed some assistance!" He said.

"We want to know about the grim reaper!" Sunshine said. "There have been lots of rumors about him lately, and we're worried. I mean, we are trying to solve the mystery. It's just that we aren't getting anywhere with solving it!"

Upon hearing those words, Grampus's heart sank. He knew a lot more about the grim reaper than Ten Cents and Sunshine did, but something inside him told him to not talk about it. However, he wanted to be helpful as Ten Cents and Sunshine were his friends. "The grim reaper is incredibly dangerous." He said, looking up at the switchers. "If you uncover him, you might not like what you're going to see."

"Not like it?" Ten Cents asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean by that Grampus?"

"He likes to keep hidden, and his identity is one that he can't spill out! That was why he used the fog." The submarine said. "If he sees you, you'll be done for!"

Ten Cents and Sunshine were about to ask if Grampus saw them, but Grampus told them that the information he gave was good. After all, the grim reaper was probably in the area and watching their movements. After he left, the switchers finished their work before heading back home. They now had some closure, but Grampus' behavior was bothering them.

That night, Hercules slipped away from the Star Dock while everyone else was fast asleep. Burke and Blair had told him about the Geir, who was getting closer and closer to death each day. With this information, Hercules decided that it was time to go pay a visit to the quarantine bay. After all, it would be too cruel to leave the Geir in a state like this.

Ten Cents was fast asleep when he felt something was off and woke up. He spotted some rippling in the water and woke up Sunshine. "Sunshine, looks like someone's gone!" He whispered, not wanting to wake the other Star Tugs up.

The smaller switcher stirred awake, and noticed that everyone was accounted for. Well, almost everyone. "Where's Hercules?" He asked, frantically looking around.

"He must have headed off again." Ten Cents suggested, keeping his voice as small as possible. Luckily, he still had some leftover steam, so he decided to go find Hercules. "We have to find him this time!"

"This time?" Sunshine asked, trying to suppress a yawn. "Ten Cents, do you know if Hercules knows we're following him? I don't want him to get angry with us."

"I'm not sure." Ten Cents shrugged. "But there's one way to find out!" Their engines coming to life, the switchers left the Star Dock to pursue Hercules.

The weather was not as foggy as it had been in previous pursuit, attempts making Ten Cents wonder if it was just a false alarm. Either that or Hercules had set up a trap. He shrugged his worries aside and pressed on, with Sunshine sticking close by in case anything went wrong. There, in the distance, they spotted Hercules. If they blew their hooters, they would be in serious trouble, so they lurked.

Up ahead, Hercules felt that he was being watched. The cold snap did not do enough it seemed. Causing the fog to thicken would also make the situation worse. Not wanting to be spotted, he could only close his eyes and press on ahead. The fog appeared to twist and contort as he did so, and turned into a ghastly face!

The switchers stopped and screamed at the sight. While they were distracted, Hercules was now far ahead. When the wind blew the fog away, Ten Cents was disappointed to see that Hercules was gone. "Rats, we lost him!" He spat.

"Nothing to be mad at Tenny." Sunshine said, looking up at him. "We still have a chance!"

Ten Cents chuckled and pressed on, following the ocean tug. Little did they know, their path was taking them to the quarantine bay.

Hercules was now at the entrance, and had used the thick fog as a cover. The Coast Guard vessels were probably anchored, but he did not want to run the risk of getting caught. He carefully navigated the bay, not wanting to draw attention. Then, he spotted the Geir being kept in a shed.

True to Burke and Blair's word, Geir's health had rapidly deteriorated. His face was covered in sores, some of them oozing a strange fluid. Since humans were immune to the effects of microbonic plague, men had to be called in to clean the sores to prevent infections. Even then, their efforts were of little use since new sores sprang up. At this point, they turned to alleviating the whaling vessel's suffering.

The smell of rotting fluids and flesh would make an ordinary vessel vomit, but it didn't phase Hercules. He shook off the smell as nothing too out of the ordinary, not even wincing when he spotted a few worms squirming on the whaling vessel's face. He felt sorry for Geir, but now was not the time to pity him. After all, he had work to do.

"...Hello?" Geir asked, too weak to even speak. When he noticed that it was just Hercules, he was not surprised. It was as though he knew his time had come. "Come in…"

Pleased by the gestures Geir made, Hercules nodded and slipped inside the shed. There was no need to introduce himself at this point. He shook off a few bugs before saying in a gentle and hushed voice, "Close your eyes, it will be all over soon. Think about your friends and family, those you loved in life."

Geir slowly nodded and did as he was told, prepared to accept his fate. Hercules closed his eyes as well, now ready to do the grim task that had been placed before him. Smoke was slowly seeping out, heading towards Geir.

Ten Cents and Sunshine were now near the quarantine bay, and they docked to prevent getting sick or worse. Suddenly, they heard the loud scraping of metal! It was ear-splitting, unlike many of the noises vessels would hear. The switchers were shaking nervously, and swore that they heard someone screaming.

The Coast Guard vessels stationed at the quarantine bay heard the noise as well, and immediately two patrol vessels were sent out to go investigate the source of the noise. They could not afford to make mistakes, as diseases could easily spread and devastate the local population. The two patrol vessels switched on their lights, looking for any signs of foul play. When they got close to the shed where Geir was being kept, they were spotted! One of the Coast Guard vessels tried to sound the alarm, but was crushed and sunk! The other hurried through the fog, a large vessel now pursuing him.

After what seemed like forever, the scraping noise stopped. Ten Cents and Sunshine opened their eyes, and sighed a breath of relief when they noticed that there wasn't anything else that was out of the ordinary. Courage building up again, they were now ready to do what was necessary to stop the Grim Reaper. They set off for the quarantine bay, but once they got to the entrance, they were stopped by a Coast Guard vessel. He broke through the fog and hurried out of the entrance, desperation in his eyes.

"You have to leave! The grim reaper! He's collected the soul of the Geir! He killed my-" Before the Coast Guard vessel could finish his sentence, a large tug emerged from the fog, turned on his light, and aimed it at the Coast Guard vessel. The tug spotted Ten Cents and Sunshine before snarling and letting out a loud, almost inhuman roar. Ten Cents and Sunshine screamed and hurried off, not looking behind them. The tug watched the switchers hurry off with interest, and he chuckled before dragging the Coast Guard vessel back into the fog...


	10. Omen

The next morning, Bluenose and his superior, Timberwolf, arrived at the quarantine bay. The Navy had received a distress call from a worker about an intruder at the quarantine bay, and the details of the report were alarming. Usually in these types of situations, Bluenose would be sent to investigate it alone. However, because of the severity of the situation at hand, Timberwolf had to be called in from Boston to help investigate. Timberwolf was an older, experienced Navy tug, and hopefully she would help unravel the mystery.

The Navy tugs' first objective was to go and inspect the Geir. When they arrived at the shed where the whaling ship was being kept, they were astonished at what they saw! What was once Geir was now an ordinary whaling vessel. It could still be operated properly by human crews, but its face was gone. Now the crew would have to use a megaphone when communicating with the living ships.

"The grim reaper came in, looking to collect Geir's soul." One of the Coast Guard vessels said, inching up to the Navy tugs. "We sent two vessels to catch him, but one was sunk immediately by the reaper. You won't like what happened to the other vessel. It's… not a pleasant sight to behold."

"Whoever the grim reaper is, he made sure Geir would not die horribly." Bluenose remarked, being as serious as ever. He looked up at the remains of Geir and was impressed by what he had seen. "There was a loud scraping of metal according to the report, but I see no damage whatsoever. That is very suspicious indeed."

"If the grim reaper did this, how was he able to sneak into the quarantine bay while under your watch?" Timberwolf asked, raising an eyebrow. She steamed up to her subordinate, looking for any signs of foul play on the Geir. "The incidents with Johnny Cuba and the pirates should have knocked some sense in that brain of yours and implement new security measures. However, it appears those incidents made you more relaxed."

The verbal abuse by his superior was the least of Bluenose's worries, however. His attention soon turned to a poor Coast Guard vessel that was isolated at one of the repair piers, He paled and could barely restrain himself, not wanting to vomit at the sight. "Good Lord! Coast Guard, what happened to you?" He gasped, hurrying over to the repair pier.

The Coast Guard vessel's eyes had been slashed and damaged to where he was blind. As a result, his eyes had to be removed as it would have been pointless to save them. A strange fluid was now seeping out of where his eyes once were, and men were trying their best to stop the leaking from getting worse. The vessel was still in a state of shock, not moving or even straightening up when his superior spoke to him.

"He can't speak sir!" Another Coast Guard vessel said, tears rolling down his face. "His tongue was slashed out. He also lost his eyes when he went to check on the Geir. All he can do now is mumble and scream."

Bluenose was now furious. "SLASHED OUT? I figure it's some vandal who decided it was acceptable to slice a ship's face for his amusement. The grim reaper is the nickname to a human breaker, that's all. He's a-"

"Enough ranting Bluenose." Timberwolf snapped, glaring at the smaller Navy tug. Bluenose immediately went silent, allowing her to speak. "Now this grim reaper is smart, and it appears that it maimed this vessel as to not get reported and arrested by the Port Authority. I do, however, have a solution to this issue."

"And what's that?" Bluenose asked, shuddering nervously (the larger navy tug sometimes scared him).

"Curfew. All vessels are to remain docked at night time unless they have been authorized to leave their docks." She replied, albeit with overconfidence. "Hopefully this should stop the grim reaper from slipping through and causing more death and destruction to our ships. If it does decide to sneak out here again for example, we can catch it and torpedo it!"

"Curfew? Bigg City is the largest shipping port on this side of the country!" Bluenose said, raising an eyebrow. "Lots of ships still need to do their deliveries at night!" However, his words were in vain.

"Bluenose, I left you in charge of this city, and you turned it into a hellhole. Not only did you let a sadist slip through the quarantine bay, you also destroyed one of our prized trampers and almost took the whole harbor down with her!" Timberwolf shouted, looking right into Bluenose's eyes. "I am in charge now. Until this crisis is resolved, you are suspended from service."

Burke and Blair sailed near the quarantine bay and caught wind of what was happening. They were watching the events unfold with great interest, especially after mentions of a maimed vessel caught their attention. Perhaps, they could break the vessel up for scrap. However, there was one small problem. Hercules had left for a contract down the coast earlier that morning, making it complicated. They soon hurried off, not wanting to get caught by the Coast Guard.

In the harbor, Ten Cents was on his way to do some minor contract work. The encounter with the large tug the night before was still on his mind, and it was troubling him greatly. Somehow, the large tug was similar in size to Hercules himself. However, his train of thought was interrupted when he spotted Zorran talking to Bob. Perhaps they were going to plot something sinister. He slowly sailed up to the pair, hoping to not cause problems.

"Well if it isn't Star Boy! You're just in time." Bob said with a scowl. Things had been tense between the two since the attempted prank, and Bob was in no mood to speak. However, since Zorran was there, he had no choice. "Bluenose got his stern handed to him by his boss, and now she's in charge."

"His boss?" Ten Cents asked, confused by what the buoy had meant. He vaguely remembered seeing a larger Navy tug in Bigg City the day after the munitions accident. Perhaps this was the tug Bob was talking about. "What was she doing out here then?"

"She got called in because Geir and some Coast Guard guy bit the dust last night." The buoy said. "They say the reaper came in, but she thinks it's baloney. Do you want to know what she's gonna do?"

"And what is that?" Ten Cents inquired. He exchanged a quick glare with Zorran, who looked like he was going to taunt him. "She better not do something stupid-"

"Well it is stupid." Bob said. "She placed all of Bigg City's ships under curfew! All buoys got told to straighten up and keep an eye for any suspicious activity."

"Curfew!?" The information was alarming. Ten Cents now wondered if Bob would use this to try to give advantage to the Z Stacks. He hurried off to work, not wanting to be late.

Word of a Navy-issued curfew spread through the city's vessel population like wildfire. At the Star Dock, everyone was in an uproar! Top Hat stated that curfew would not affect him, for he was not made to work at nighttime. However, it took both O.J. and Big Mac to tell him that curfew would be bad for everyone. Meanwhile, Warrior brought up the Z Stacks possibly using the curfew to get more lucrative contracts. This now led to everyone bickering about whether or not someone in the Navy was working with Zero and Marine, or at least had connections with Captain Zero himself.

Meanwhile, Ten Cents had met up with Sunshine and told him about what had happened earlier in the morning with Bob. "So the Navy finally did something right, and it's not good. All of Bigg City is under a curfew!" Ten Cents said, trying to relay the news.

"I heard. Some of the other Stars are saying that it might be abused by the Z Stacks!" Sunshine replied, telling him what had happened at the Star Dock. "I was thinking about the reaper, and-" Ten Cents interrupted and soon added his own thoughts and concerns about the reaper. After all, they were starting to notice a pattern.

Little did the switchers know that a raven had perched on a building nearby, observing their actions. It preened its oily black feathers, not wanting to draw attention from anyone close by. For whatever reason, it was able to understand the words coming out of their mouths (let alone the expressions on their faces). When Sunshine mentioned Hercules, the raven swooped down to a mooring bollard to listen to the conversation. It continued behaving as normal, although it perked up a few times to glare at the switchers.

Ten Cents and Sunshine decided to hurry to their next contract, knowing that there were still lots of work to do. Especially with the curfew in effect. The raven flew off after them, wanting to listen to their conversation some more. Luckily for it, the switchers paid not much attention. After all, it was a bird and not a ghost.

A few days had past since curfew was issued, and Bigg City had been in a state of desperation. Traffic had been delayed, and both Star and Zero had to make up for lost time. As a result, some of the tugs like Zak and O.J. had become overworked, and had to be pulled from service because of the damage they could cause to their engines. To make matters worse, the grim reaper sighting at the quarantine bay made everyone tense up. Especially after hearing what had happened to the Coast Guard vessels sent to stop him.

Ten Cents had just finished a fishing contract and was sailing to the Star Dock for an assignment when he felt something land on his hat. It was common for seagulls to land on him, but this one felt heavier. "Hey little guy, what are you doing up here?" He asked, looking up at a raven perched on his hat. The raven looked down and glared, but Ten Cents gave no notice.

He pressed on, but didn't get far when he spotted Burke and Blair. The two tugs were towing some new equipment back to the breaker's yard. Some of it consisted of new engine parts, while other pieces of equipment included ropes. Something rubbed him the wrong way, and so he steamed up to them. "What are you two doing, might I ask?" Ten Cents asked, looking at the equipment.

"Our owners received money as part of us helping the White Fleet finding the galleon." Burke replied. "They decided to finally give our engines some attention, and we should be getting our new engines installed. Our engines have been struggling, so it should be welcome relief."

"I didn't even know you two were in the whole operation with the White Fleet!" Ten Cents gasped, examining some of the parts. Based on how costly some of the new parts were, the museum must have been really generous in paying the owners of the breaker's yard. "You guys are aware with the risk of your bodies not handling the new parts, right?"

The two breaker tugs nodded, as if they were dismissing what the switcher was saying. However, Blair's attention was soon turned to the raven, who was perched right above Ten Cents' lamp. He went pale at the sight, knowing how ravens were considered a terrible omen. "I believe we should get going." He said, looking nervously at Burke. "We don't want our owners to be cross with us." Burke nodded, and he and Blair took their leave.

Ten Cents watched them hurry off with confusion, but shrugged it off and kept on going. When he arrived at the Star Dock, he spotted O.J. moored at one of the piers. Perhaps he should keep him company for a bit. "Hey there." He said, steaming up to the paddle wheel tug. "I was heading here when I saw Burke and Blair with new equipment. Apparently they're getting their engines replaced."

"Really?" O.J. wasn't sure how to react to the information. "Are they going to Lucky's to have it done? Lucky and his crew have more experience than their owners."

"I wasn't sure myself. However, as we were talking, they got nervous." The switcher added, looking up at the raven. "This raven has been sitting here the whole day, and I'm not even sure what it's doing here."

"That might be why they were so scared." He said, looking at the raven with curious eyes. The raven looked at O.J. for a second, but soon went to sleep. "Ravens were used by Vikings a long time ago as navigation aides! However, ravens were also feared as a sign of death and destruction. Perhaps that might be why Burke and Blair got nervous when they saw you."

"That makes sense. O.J., if ravens really are a sign of death, then why is this one here then?" Ten Cents asked.

"It might be a harbinger of their own deaths. Or one of the other tugs in the harbor." O.J. replied, shrugging. "I suggest not worrying too much about it, ravens are only omens on land. Besides, half of those omens aren't real!"

Ten Cents thanked O.J. and steamed up to the office to receive his next assignment. The raven remained fast asleep, only to stir awake each time Ten Cents mentioned Hercules. The switchers paid little attention to it, but had soon started to wonder if the crow had anything to do with the grim reaper.

That night, Burke and Blair were getting ready to leave the breaker's yard. At this rate, the maimed Coast Guard vessel was probably dead. And besides, they figured, their work would allow the Coast Guard to worry less. They soon set off for the quarantine bay, ready to do their grim task.

Grampus was patrolling the harbor, checking for any suspicious activity. After all, he had gotten permission from Timberwolf herself to continue his patrols, as he assured that he would do his part to keep the harbor safe. As he sailed on, he noticed three shapes out in the distance. Confused, he hurried over.

Burke and Blair were towing the maimed Coast Guard vessel, who kept on mumbling. If breaking into the quarantine bay at the dead of night was challenging enough, then towing someone who was still speaking was going to be a massive undertaking. They travelled at a slow speed, as to not get caught by the other vessels patrolling the area. If they were caught, then their owners' business would fall apart.

Grampus turned on his light and spotted the breaker tugs towing the Coast Guard vessel. In a panic, he sprayed water to stun them. Knowing where the Coast Guard vessel was being kept, the water would be a good way to rinse any bugs off of them. "You two won't be going anywhere!" He said, glaring right into Burke's eyes. "I will report you two to the Coast Guard!"

Burke and Blair spat out the water and hurried away, with Grampus in hot pursuit. The Coast Guard vessel whined in agony, and tried making a noise as if he were calling for help. Finally, Blair had enough, and rammed into the vessel to get him to shut up. At that moment, the vessel went limp and stopped breathing. "Blair you fool, you killed him!" Burke snapped, but now was not the time to panic. Grampus watched and blew his whistle, drawing the attention of a few patrol boats in the area.

The breaker tugs panicked and kept pressing on, but they soon felt a rumbling noise followed by a boom. They had run their engines to the point of breaking them. Grampus and the other patrol boats caught up, throwing their tow lines to keep Burke and Blair in place. In desperation, they blasted their whistles for Hades to save them. But no such help arrived. They sobbed and went silent as a few patrol vessels took them away to Timberwolf.

The next morning, news of Burke and Blair's arrest reached the Star Dock. Grampus had surfaced and explained the events of what had happened to the shocked (and relieved) Star Tugs. He described how they tried to speed ahead, but Grampus and some Coast Guard vessels had cornered them. Meanwhile, the raven perched on the roof of the office, listening to the news. Once it had sufficient information (and was noticed by the switchers again), it flew off.

Hercules was getting refuelled at one of the fuelling docks when he spotted the raven. Something was definitely off with the way the raven was flying, and he felt himself tense up in anger. The switchers were on him after all. The raven landed on one of the ocean tug's massive pipes, wanting to rest its wings after such a flight. In a quiet voice, Hercules asked, "Is something on your mind dear Pluto? Do tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> • Timberwolf is another oc, and will be a big player in some of these later chapters. She is experienced, but overconfident. Appearance wise, think a slightly larger Bluenose with some lip gloss
> 
> • The Vikings had used ravens as navigation guides: r/todayilearned/comments/2xi9zd/til_vikings_used_ravens_to_navigate_they_brought/
> 
> • Hercules has a pet raven named Pluto (at least in this au). I do plan on expanding this feathery friend's role later on in the story, so apologies if Pluto is underused!


	11. Demise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is the ao3 version, I decided to expand a little/edit some bits and pieces of the original chapter on ff.net. Hopefully this helps make things feel more full!
> 
> Also, we have a major death. Or two.

Later on that morning, Hercules was sailing around the harbor. He now had to be extremely careful when it came to his actions, as one wrong move could set Ten Cents and Sunshine off. There was a real risk that he would be sold or worse as a result, and he did not want wither event to happen to him right now. Pluto was perched on his hat, dozing off in the morning sun. As the ocean tug sailed on, he spotted Warrior hauling Lord Stinker. "Hey Herc, did you hear? Burke and Blair were arrested last night for hauling an injured Coast Guard boat to the breaker's yard!" The harbor tug said, his expression becoming serious.

Hercules nodded and said, "I did hear a little mention of what had happened when I came into the harbor this morning. However, I will admit, I don't know everything. Do you who caught them by any chance?"

"Grampus and the Coast Guard I believe." Warrior replied, trying to remember the information. He wasn't the brightest tug, but he often did his best when it came to relaying news. "On the upside, we don't have curfew anymore!"

"Curfew?" Hercules was intrigued. And disgusted. Something significant did happen to Bigg City after all. However, he was not expecting it. "Who in the world thought that placing curfew would be a good idea? All it does is disrupt the economy!"

"A Navy tug placed curfew. Her name's Timberwolf." Warrior replied, frowning as he spoke. "She's not the nicest tug, especially for a Navy tug. I ran into her a few times and she barks orders like Bluenose does."

"Hmph, as expected." Hercules sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Oh how he hated the Navy, especially when they did things like this. After all, he believed that they were all corrupt and power hungry. "Hopefully I won't meet Timberwolf, my temper will certainly get the better of me if I did."

"Definitely." Warrior agreed, knowing how… brutal the ocean tug got when someone had crossed him. It wasn't even pleasant to think about the methods Hercules used during his tantrums. He soon realized that he was going to be late and sailed off, blowing his whistle to say goodbye. "I'll see you soon Hercules!"

"See you soon Warrior dear!" Hercules chuckled, smiling as he watched the harbor tug leave. Now that Warrior was gone, he needed to find Grampus and speak to him. Finding him was easier said than done, as Grampus was moored at one of the piers. "Morning Grampus!" He greeted, steaming up to the submarine. It was pointless to blow his whistle to greet him then and there.

"Good morning Hercules!" Grampus greeted, looking up at the ocean tug and blowing his whistle in response to the greeting. "I rarely see you here this early in the morning! What do you need?"

"I wanted to ask you about Burke and Blair." Hercules replied, becoming serious. He wanted the whole story, as what the two tugs had done was bad enough. "After all, you were the one who got them arrested."

"Ah of course!" Grampus's face became serious and he relayed everything he saw to Hercules. He described the story in detail as well, explaining how the Coast Guard vessel tried to call for help. He also added the desperation in the breaker tugs' actions, especially after their engines had failed. He ignored how his friend's reflection in the water changed, as if he had been used to it.

"Was the Coast Guard vessel alive at the time of the arrests, or was he already dead?" Hercules asked, looking down at the water. "The fact Burke and Blair did such a thing is something very typical of them. And needless to say, I am very disappointed. I wanted to give them a chance to make themselves useful, but they blew it."

"He was dead. Blair bashed him to keep him quiet, but he ended up killing him." Grampus replied, his voice somber. "The other Coast Guard vessels tried to revive him but it was too little, too late." Then, in a hushed whisper, he asked Hercules, "You're not going to let them go, are you?"

Hercules was furious, and it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep calm. Something inside him wanted to attack and lash out, especially since Grampus mentioned death. He could only shake his head and answer, "I would in a heartbeat, but their time hasn't come. Yet. Where are they at right now?"

"Blair and Burke got released by the Navy this morning!" The submarine said, now becoming nervous. If Hercules was getting cross, then this information would push him over the edge. "Their owners bribed Timberwolf, and they're back at the breakers' yard. They-"

"Bribed?!" Hercules asked, his voice becoming unusually harsh. He almost lost his composure then and there, but with Grampus and some humans around, it was too risky. After a few minutes of silence, he calmed down and said in a soft voice, "I apologize for acting like that for a moment, I dislike bribery of any kind. Thank you for the information Grampus."

Grampus nodded and slipped under the water. Once he couldn't make out the submarine, Hercules looked up to Pluto (who was now wide awake). "Pluto m'dear, I have a favor to ask of you." He said, his voice soft to where Pluto would understand him. The raven immediately came down and perched himself on one of the pipes, looking up at the ocean tug with obedient eyes. "Can you fly to the breaker's yard? I need to make sure Burke and Blair are there."

Pluto nodded and flew off, heading in the general direction of the breaker's yard. He carefully navigated the harbor, not wanting to get struck by vessels as well as humans. Eventually, he made it to the breaker's yard, and he perched on the rusted hull of an old paddle wheel ferry to rest. A few crows joined him, and all turned their attention to some commotion that was happening in the yard.

"You idiots!" One of the owners said through his megaphone, infuriated at his tugs for what they had done. "You should not have made that deal with whoever you made that deal with, especially since we were trying to get the galleon deal with the museum. We had to use the remainder of our money from that deal to bail you out, and now we might not get any more business from shipping companies in the area!"

Burke and Blair mumbled something about Hades, but it was nothing more than a whisper. They had been put on dry dock and were now getting their engines replaced with shiny new parts. However, they were not taking the replacements well, and had become sickly as a result. Even if the procedure was successful, there was still the risk of death. As their owner talked, the breaker tugs looked up and spotted the birds perched nearby and paled at the sight. They took it as a sign that death was imminent.

One of the crows flew off at the first mention of Hades, as if it was heading somewhere to look for food. However, it had different intentions. Hercules was moored at the Star Dock, getting his briefing from Captain Starr. Once the briefing ended, he was getting ready to leave when he spotted a crow. Immediately, his temper flared. It was hard to lose control, especially since his captain was close by. He gave a quick nod to the captain and left, wanting to give himself time to process what happened.

The day went on with no more significant events. Everyone was relieved that curfew was lifted, and now they had more time to finish up contracts that could not be completed in a timely manner. Hercules himself also had to assist in the work, as his strength made many of the day's tasks easy as pie. He also kept an eye on the other tugs, making sure that no mistakes were made as contract after contract was fulfilled. By the end of the day, all late work was completed.

That night, the Star Tugs were all fast asleep. All, except for Hercules. He was wide awake, as he had gotten the feeling that not one, but two vessels were going to die. And based on what happened earlier, perhaps it was time to go and end Burke and Blair. 

In the cover of darkness, he slipped away from the Star Dock. Ten Cents and Sunshine were still fast asleep, the day's work having exhausted them. He smirked at this observation, and was relieved that there would be no attempted pursuits from them. With the two switchers tuckered out, the ocean tug would get away with his actions.

As he sailed on towards his destination, a blanket of fog rolled into the harbor. He felt that no one was watching him, and he hummed in satisfaction. He sailed on with confidence, contrary to his secretive behavior on previous runs. Hercules soon spotted the breaker's yard in the distance, and the fog became oppressive. It concealed the soft hums of his engine, allowing him to sail on without getting caught or even noticed. His eyes started to glow, and with the fog, it made him look like a different vessel.

At the breaker's yard, Burke and Blair were now on the verge on death. Their bodies struggled to get used to such changes to their engines, and their owners were starting to get worried. They would have to prepare in case their tugs did die, such as hiring human crews and using megaphones. Burke and Blair weakly opened their eyes, and were alarmed by what they were seeing.

There, out in the distance, was a large shape. Was it a vessel? Or was it just a piece of machinery? The two breaker tugs couldn't tell from their place on the dock, but whatever it was, it was getting dangerously close. After a minute, they watched as Hercules broke through the fog and sailed on towards them. Burke and Blair got excited for a moment before spotting the expression on Hercules's face, dashing any hopes that he would be pleased in what they had done the night before.

"We have heard everything, and we are disappointed." Hercules said in a serious tone, stopping at the dock. As he spoke, the air around them grew cold to where it chilled to the bone. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. After all, these two did not have permission from him to kill a maimed vessel. He glared at Burke and Blair when they tried to speak, effectively silencing them. "My friend has decided to end the deal. After all, he would rather trust someone who is stupid than vultures such as yourselves."

Those words set Blair off. The moment he tried to retort what Hercules said, a loud slicing sound was heard. Burke turned to the source of the noise and watched with shock as Blair's face slowly slid down from its place in the wheelhouse before falling onto the deck with a thud. He almost vomited at the sight, as water and a variety of fluids started to quickly seep out. After a minute, the rest of the flesh on Blair's wheelhouse peeled off.

Burke turned back to face Hercules, now infuriated. "You monster, you killed my brother!" He shouted, looking at the ocean tug. Hercules said nothing, and a cloud of fog slowly covered him. When Burke blinked, his eyes widened in shock. He could only watch in fear as something large lunged at him, eyes glowing a fiery red...


	12. Columbus

The next morning, the Star Tugs awoke to hear that Burke and Blair had died overnight. This was significant, but they were not surprised in the slightest. It turned out the breaker tugs had been struggling to adjust to their new engines, and the fact they were a bit older and not as well-maintained did not help them. It was dismissed as natural by everyone, that was, except for Ten Cents and Sunshine.

"Died naturally?" Sunshine asked in a soft voice, looking up at Ten Cents with worried eyes. "It feels so… odd that these guys died naturally while others died so violently. Don't you think the reaper is behind this?"

"Yeah, it doesn't sound right at all." Ten Cents said, heaving a heavy sigh. "C'mon, we have work to do. We can try to solve the mystery later." Sunshine frowned, but Ten Cents was right.

The morning went on uneventfully, and both switchers were surprised to head no mention of the grim reaper at all. It felt as though the city had gone back go normal and that peace was restored. However, they noticed that many ships were still nervous. They supposed it was the grim reaper, or that the air around them was uneasy. This made Ten Cents incredibly suspicious, and now. He wanted to get to the bottom of this and put a stop to whoever was causing this.

Later on that afternoon, he decided to swing by the breaker's yard. Something still wasn't right, so he wanted to go see if something fishy really did happen. He also noticed that Hercules was silent on the event, and he was now wondering if he had something to with it. The switcher was too lost in thoughts to notice that he was in the path of Timberwolf. She spotted him and blasted her hooter to draw his attention.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, glaring at the switcher. "Do you realize you don't have the authority to come out and do such things, right? This is for Navy tugs only, and only Navy tugs."

"No, I was just taking time in between contracts." Ten Cents replied, getting apprehensive. He had met Timberwolf once and wasn't overly fond of her, so he hoped this meeting would not be as intense. "It isn't like I'm breaking the law or anything. What're you doing out near the breaker's yard then, hm?"

"None of your business." Timberwolf stated, now inching towards the switcher. "Take your leave, or else I will-"

Hercules' whistle pierced the air, and the two tugs turned their attention to the regal tug. "So we finally meet Timberwolf." He said, defiantly inching forward. "What are you doing to that-"

"So you've come to protect the innocent, hm?" Timberwolf snapped, looking at Hercules. She was clearly in no mood to be reasoned with at this point, as evidenced by the tone of her voice. "I'm doing my work of keeping the peace. You're being a vigilante!"

"You have no authority to lay a finger on that switcher. Especially since you treated someone dear to me like garbage." Hercules said, motioning for Ten Cents to leave. Things would get ugly very quickly if Hercules did indeed lose his cool. "Now take your nose and stick it elsewhere. Otherwise you will-"

"You can't threaten me with death." The Navy tug huffed, trying to look dignified. "What made you decide to single me out from the other Navy tugs in the harbor?"

Ten Cents quietly hurried off, not wanting to get caught in the middle of a fight. He wouldn't be surprised if Hercules did indeed smash into Timberwolf, or at least drag her along with his tow ropes. However, there was no decent way of telling what would happen, and it would be too risky to find out. He didn't even look back, fearing that the worst had happened.

A few hours had passed and Ten Cents was now back heading back to the Star Dock after a long day of work. It was rather slow, and the argument between Hercules and Timberwolf was weighing heavily on his mind. Hopefully the ocean tug had make it back safely, and without any fines (Hercules had a tendency to get fined for noncompliance). Much to his relief, the switcher spotted Hercules moored at the pier, as well as a flock of crows. As he inched forward, he noticed how relaxed the other was, especially when compared to earlier.

"What made you lash out at Timberwolf like that?" Ten Cents asked, steaming up to Hercules with a puzzled expression. He looked down and noticed that the crows were helping themselves to some fruit and fish that was placed on the deck. "I mean, I haven't seen you lash out at anyone like that since you first met Zorran."

"Timberwolf was Goliah's superior during the war, and was... extremely rough." Hercules sighed, shaking his head. "The fact Goli was the only girl in her unit made the treatment unbearable. She was very patient though, and bore those verbal assaults with stride." Then, with a sigh, he said, "I apologize if I got out of hand back there. Luckily Timberwolf hasn't filed a report. Yet."

Ten Cents smiled and said, "That's good. Luckily for Bigg City, they don't have the reaper to deal with. The rumors died down after Burke and Blair had died."

"A welcome relief I suppose." The ocean tug mused, looking on towards the sea. Then, he asked in a quiet voice, "What were you sailing out towards the breaker's yard for? Especially since Timberwolf was there?"

"I had the feeling something was off." The switcher admitted, looking down at his reflection in the water. "Timberwolf must have had similar reasons for checking it out too. Now I'm wondering if- Never mind."

"Wondering what?" Hercules asked, tensing up. The crows stopped eating and turned to look at Ten Cents, as if they were judging him for something he had done wrong. "You don't have to hesitate when speaking your feelings to me m'dear. I'm all ears."

The air around the two tugs grew cold, yet Ten Cents felt the water around him start to get warmer and warmer. Knowing he had probably pushed Hercules to his limit, he had to get out. "I need to go check up on Sunshine. I'll see you later on tonight!"

"Likewise." Hercules smiled and said, watching Ten Cents take his leave. Once the switcher disappeared from view, the ocean tug's composure had changed completely. "Keep your eyes on him. I do not want him to find himself in a situation that he cannot get out of." He whispered, his voice soft enough for the crows to hear. The crows nodded, and soon flew off towards the Star Dock.

A week had gone by and Bigg City was covered in snow. Shipping had decreased as a result, and Captain Starr had been making preparations to move his fleet Up River for the winter season. However, Hercules would have to stay behind due to the fact that his massive body was not made for rivers. Instead, he would have to stay out in port and complete contracts for companies that weren't as affected by the winter weather. Although Hercules did not mind this, he longed for spring to come and thaw out the ice.

It was mid-morning, and Captain Starr had received a telegram that would keep the harbor busy for the time being. The passenger ferry Columbus was coming up the coast to deliver supplies, and even though it was no ocean liner, the work he was doing was important. To make it more exciting, Columbus' owners would reward the company who safely escorted the ferry into port with a contract. He relayed the news to his tugs, and they got excited. Hopefully, the Z Stacks wouldn't be playing any tricks on them.

At the Zero Dock, Captain Zero had heard the news of the Columbus. "There is some valuable cargo on that ferry, so make you sure you guys be the ones that escort him!" He said, reading some papers. Zip was about to ask, but Zebedee whispered something to him about bootlegging. "Do not fail me this time, or else all of you will be collecting raw sewage! Now go!" The man said, not wanting to deal with disobedient tugs. The Z Stacks muttered and hurried off, not wanting to do such smelly work.

Hercules was sent to go fulfill a steel contract, so Big Mac was sent up to go and escort Columbus to port. Things would have been smooth had it not been for Zorran coming up close to him. "Bugger off Zorran, all you're going to do is cause trouble." The harbor tug snapped. He did not want to deal with Zorran, as he wanted to make sure the job was done in a smooth manner.

"Not when a contract as lucrative as this one is involved Mac!" Zorran chuckled and sped ahead, trying to get to Columbus first. However, he stopped when he spotted the ferry out in the distance. Now it was a waiting game.

Columbus was inching closer to the entrance to the city, but he was teetering towards Dender Rocks. His captain had never travelled up to Bigg City before, and was unfamiliar with the risks that sailing to such a port could pose. Big Mac and Zorran were getting worried, and could only watch with fear as they watched the ferry go off course. Then, they could hear a loud scraping noise, followed by crunching. Columbus had run aground! The call to abandon ship was issued, and passengers and crew scrambled to get out of the sinking ferry. Columbus began to take on water, and he started to lean to his right.

The two tugs put aside their differences and got to work helping those in need. A Coast Guard vessel watched what happened, and hurried over. "I'll alert the others, stay here and rescue!" He said, letting some passengers scramble aboard.

At the harbor, the Star Tugs and Z Stacks were waiting when several Coast Guard vessels hurried up to them. "Emergency, emergency!" A Coast Guard vessel shouted, trying to catch the tugs' attention. "Columbus has run aground, and we need your help to right him and find survivors."

Appalled, the tugs raced odd towards the scene. When they arrived, they watched as Big Mac and Zorran were struggling to pluck survivors. Some of Columbus' keel was sticking out from amongst the water, and it was cracked. The tugs glanced at the sight for a second before setting to work. It was high priority to make sure he would not sink.

Hercules soon arrived, and due to the authority he had, put himself in charge. He tasked the switchers, Top Hat, O.J., and Zak with collecting survivors, as righting a ship would be too much for their bodies. Meanwhile, Hercules, Big Mac, Warrior, Zorran, and Zebedee would try to right the ship by using their ropes. The work was very stressful, but each tug did their best to make sure the ship would not slip under.

After a while, Hercules noticed that Columbus was still taking on water. It was frustrating to say the least, but he quickly realized that Columbus would eventually sink even if the other tugs righted him. It was a losing battle, and he knew that some of the tugs in this operation would fatally blow their engines. After some hesitation, he cut his tow ropes. Big Mac noticed and was startled. "Hercu-"

"We can't keep going like this. The damage is too great." Hercules sighed in defeat, knowing that nothing could be done. He pointed to some massive holes on the hull, drawing a gasp from Big Mac. "If we do continue, he'll take us all down with him."

Big Mac noticed Warrior's ropes start to break with the pressure, and he said, "Cut yer lines! Columbus is too damaged to be righted."

Zorran wanted to protest, but Big Mac and Hercules had a point. The other tugs cut their lines, and watched helplessly as Columbus started to lean left again. The salvage company arrived after a while, and they went to work quickly retrieving what they could before the ferry would sink.

As the sun was setting that evening, Hercules stayed close behind at the scene. It would probably take a while for Columbus to sink, but for now, he was slowly slipping away. A bit of his face was submerged, and he had given up on spitting out water. Hercules wanted to end the other's suffering, but he wasn't sure if Ten Cents and Sunshine were out and about. He bid good night and dreaded home, leaving some crows to keep tabs on the ferry.

It was a day since Columbus capsized, and the salvage company was hard at work. Both Star and Zero tugs had to assist in the salvage efforts. It was dreadful, and they tried what they could to make the ferry comfortable. However, he groaned in pain, too weak to speak. Later on that night, the Star Tugs were back at the dock getting refuelled and cleaned after a long day of work. It had gotten too dark for them to properly operate in such conditions, and fog would only make navigation difficult. For now, the search for survivors and salvaging would have to cease. It was difficult yes, but they had no choice.

Despite the tragedy, there was still work to do. Ten Cents and Sunshine were sent to the fueling depot to go and collect fuel for Lillie. Although the weather was almost unbearable, she still had to job of making sure vessels would navigate port without running aground. As they got close, they noticed Hercules racing towards Dender Rocks.

"There he goes again!" Sunshine gasped, looking up to Ten Cents. "Should we go and find him again? Especially with-"

"I've had enough of sitting around while Hercules sneaks off!" Ten Cents said, eyes filled with determination. "This time, we'll make sure he doesn't go and do what he's been doing." Sunshine nodded, and the switchers changed course to go and pursue the ocean tug.

Meanwhile, Zorran was now just heading back to the Zero Dock. During salvaging, the Coast Guard caught him trying to run off with some suspicious boxes, and he was worried that Zero would kill him. Especially since those boxes were discovered to have rum inside. As he sailed on, he noticed Ten Cents and Sunshine sailing on. Perhaps he could report them, and maybe get them to feel humiliated like he was. "Well well well, if it isn't Tenny and Sunny?" He sneered, creeping up to them.

The switchers turned to face the Z Stack with disgust. Oh great. "What're you doing here Zorran, it's none of your business!" Ten Cents asked.

"I wanted to check up on ya." Zorran smirked, noticing that the switchers had nothing on them. "You can't just be wandering around like that, especially since there has been a capsizing."

"Go away!" Sunshine snapped, not wanting to deal with Zorran. Especially since there was a much more serious threat. "C'mon Tenny, let's go."

Ten Cents nodded, and he and Sunshine hurried away from Zorran as fast as they could. Zorran was befuddled and followed close behind. Surely those switchers were onto something. As Ten Cents and Sunshine sailed on, they turned and spotted the Z Stack catching up. "Zorran, we told you to keep away!" Ten Cents said.

"Not unless I know what you two are doing!" The Z Stack snapped. "You need to explain first, run away second. Not the other way around."

Sunshine looked at his friend with worried eyes before saying, "We're looking for the grim reaper!" Hopefully that would get Zorran to stop following them.

"Grim reaper eh?" Zorran was intrigued. He chuckled and said, "Perhaps you might need me as backup in case anything goes wrong."

Sunshine was suspicious, but Ten Cents pressed on. Zorran was taking away time from finding the reaper, and he was worried that by the time they got somewhere, the reaper would be gone. Taking Ten Cents' behavior as a yes, Zorran followed close behind.

Ten Cents pushed on through the fog, confident in what he was doing. As the three tugs sailed on, the area near Dender Rocks became increasingly foggy. Soon, it was difficult to see beyond their bows. Then, they heard a loud boom out in the distance! Then, there was a light. It was brighter than noon day, nearly blinding the trio.

The trio gasped and kept their mouths shut, not wanting to make a sound. Sweat trickled down Ten Cents' face, and Zorran was almost considering turning around and going back. However, it was almost impossible to do it in these conditions. Sunshine meanwhile had his eyes closed, tears slowly creeping out. A minute later, the light slowly faded away.

Now was their chance!

Ten Cents and Sunshine bravely pushed on through the fog, with Zorran following close behind. As they got closer to where they had seen the light, they noticed that the fog was starting to disperse, making navigation a lot easier. Then, they spotted Columbus and a tug standing right next to him. They flashed their lights at the tug, ready to pounce if necessary. What they saw caught them off guard.

"Hercules, what are you doing all the way out here!?"


	13. Hades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked and reworked this chapter for months and even consulted NefariousScalin for help, so kudos to her. Hades finally shows himself, and we do have a language and violence warning (because Hades is not a nice tug).
> 
> Enjoy!

"Now what seems to be the matter you three?" Hercules calmly asked, his facial expression surprisingly blank. He looked like he was anticipating the group's arrival, but he was still impressed that they had managed to reach him. Especially with how incredibly thick the fog was.

"We got worried about you, especially after we saw you head towards Dender Rocks!" Sunshine answered in a quiet voice, looking up to Hercules with worried eyes. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I was going to ask you as well. I was just finishing up on some salvaging, that's all." The ocean tug answered in a soft voice, letting out an assuring chuckle "I get uncomfortable doing salvages during the day, which is why I do it at night. You don't mind me doing this, don't you?"

"Now Hercules, it's not your job to go and salvage this guy. Let the salvage company do it!" Zorran snapped. However, he noticed something in the corner or his eye and turned his attention to Columbus. To his shock, the ferry's face had vanished completely! "Hercules… what happened?"

"Hm? Something caught your eye Zorran?" Hercules asked, remaining calm as ever. However, something about him began to change, as if he was annoyed at the other tug's presence. The smile on his face quickly vanished, replaced with a frown.

"Well, it's just that this guy had a face this morning! And now I'm wondering if you had something to do with it!" Zorran explained, standing his ground. "That is something the lead tug of Star and Marine shouldn't be doing."

Hercules' demeanor changed, and he bluntly said, "Columbus died this afternoon. Sometimes a vessel loses their face quickly upon death. You're starting to ask too many questions boy." As he spoke, the air became unbearably cold.

"Died?" Ten Cents asked, raising an eyebrow in response to Hercules' answer. "We went searching for you and saw a bright light! And we also heard the scraping of metal!" This prompted Sunshine and Zorran to say that they too had seen something similar. "We know you tend to keep things private, but what you're doing is unacceptable! Why do you keep on ignoring us each time we ask you about the grim reaper?"

Hercules finally lost patience. There was simply no point to deflecting questions like this, especially since the switchers were still being nosy. He looked at Ten Cents right in the eye and said in a voice much deeper (and harsher) than normal, "My little angel, my sweet little angel. Stop panicking over such things. It's clear that you're getting more and more nervous."

Ten Cents stood back, knowing that he had pushed Hercules too far. However, it was the words that he had spoken that shook the switcher to the core. "Only one vessel has called me 'my little angel'." He exclaimed, looking up at the ocean tug with terror and fear in his eyes. "His name was-"

"Hades?" Hercules replied, not caring that he interrupted his friend at this point. His mouth curved to form a grin, but his teeth had become serrated. He chuckled and shook his head before saying, "You figured it out. You actually figured it out." Before anyone could reply, he was covered in a thick cloud of fog!

The three remaining tugs were alarmed, wondering if the ocean tug made his getaway using the fog. Instead, they were greeted by a terrible sight. Standing in the place of Hercules was a maroon tug who was frowning, but was baring his razor sharp teeth. He was extremely similar to Hercules, right down to the black hair and straight moustache. However, the tug was wearing a black cap that was adorned with gold ribbons and a red star as opposed to the white sailor's cap Hercules wore. The eagle statue was replaced with a raven in flight, mouth wide open. His eyes were glowing a fiery red, but his black sunglasses and the thick fog made them flicker like hellfire.

Ten Cents was intimidated by what he was seeing, but his attention was focused on the name on the tug's bow. He carefully read it and was mortified by the information. "H-HADES!? You didn't tell me that you were Hades!" He was trying his best to not get angry with the tug, lest he and the others should suffer a terrible fate.

"Yes, that is my name." Hades replied coldly, glaring at the three tugs. To say he was furious was an understatement. He was in no mood to be questioned whatsoever, and looked like he was ready to use force. With a hiss and a snarl, he asked, "What business do you have here? You are making my work here much more stressful than what it needs to be. Now tell me!"

"W-We wanted to figure out where you went Hercules- I mean Hades! These two idiots dragged me into this mess." Zorran replied, sweating nervously. It looked as though he was pleading for Hades to spare him, but kill the switchers.

Hades slowly inched forward, curving his lips into a grin. "You're a curious lot, aren't you? This ship would have died from drowning by the time he went under, and that is a painful way to die." He said, silencing Zorran with a cold stare. "I did the poor lad a favor and ended his suffering before those things could overtake him. I also did the same thing with that whaling ship, and so many countless others."

"A favor? How?!" Sunshine snapped, not believing the tug for one second. Even if Hades was doing this for a good cause, his reasoning behind it rubbed the switcher the wrong way. "Many of those ships could have had a chance at recovering and being repaired! You're just killing ships for sport, not letting them pass away!"

Hades laughed rather loudly and replied, "Everyone dies sweetheart. Some do it naturally, others need my help." As he spoke, smoke began to trickle out of his smokestack and headed towards the three tugs. The smoke began to contort, and soon changed into a plethora of wailing spirits. Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Zorran all went pale at the sight. They wanted to get as far away from the tug as possible, but were so frightened that movement was difficult.

Sunshine soon spotted something disturbing in the smoke, and he screamed! "Is that… Is that Burke and Blair in there?" He whispered, recognizing the tugs' faces amidst the smoke. He quickly went pale, and shut his eyes in fear. Ten Cents noticed and started trembling, while Zorran was sweating and looking for a quick way out.

No sooner did the smoke turn into spirits suddenly turned yet again. However, this time, the smoke turned into tentacle-shaped appendages. They headed towards the trio at breakneck speed, scraping along Columbus' hull to create a loud screeching sound and leave massive scrapes. Surely the same would happen to them! Zorran, wanting to save himself, tried to push the switchers forward towards the smoke. However, Hades noticed this and quickly sent one of the appendages to grab Zorran by the neck!

"These are vessels who gained my trust, only to break it." Hades smirked, his voice changing to Hercules' for a second. "It seems one of you wants to join them too." The appendages retreated back into his smokestack, but the appendage that was wrapped around Zorran became even tighter. Zorran's face started to change color, and the maroon tug gave a dark chuckle.

Ten Cents turned to see the situation unfold, and he was stuck! Should he convince his friend, now a monster who was very capable of killing them all without breaking a sweat, to spare Zorran? Or would he simply leave the Z Stack to his fate? Either way, his time was running out fast. "Stop, stop!" The switcher exclaimed, looking at Hades with pleading eyes.

"Me, stop strangling the bastard?" Hades was not phased in the slightest, and ignored his pleas. "Why, I'm simply doing you and your friend Sunshine a favor. Zorran wanted you to die in his place, but I'm letting him taste his own medicine! I saved you once before, and I am not letting you get yourself killed, especially now!"

Ten Cents gasped, realizing it was Hades who had spared him from getting infected with microbonic plague. He frowned however, feeling that his pleas were in vain. However, he noticed the maroon tug's reflection in the water change. What shocked him was that the reflection was not that of Hades, but of Hercules! Was the ocean tug approving of what Hades was doing? He looked back at the other and said with determined eyes, "Zorran may be an enemy to the Star Fleet, but this is not acceptable at all! What do we do once you kill him, hm?"

Hades snarled, refusing to listen yet again. "It seems Hercules has shown you how to respect life. As always." He said, now inching close to Ten Cents. "What are you trying to do then, solicit an opinion out of him?"

Ten Cents defiantly nodded, looking right into Hades's eyes. "I'm sure he isn't approving of you strangling his rival to death." He added, turning to see that Zorran was near death.

Hades wanted to retort and even mock the switcher, but a nagging feeling came to him. It was gentle, yet firm, telling him that enough was enough. It was so easy to resist, but that would incur something unpleasant. With a low growl in defeat, he caused the smoke around Zorran to dissipate. "There, I let him go. But his time will come soon." Hades said, taking one last glance at Ten Cents before vanishing in the fog. Zorran was slowly panting, struggling to catch his breath after being viciously strangled.

The fog cleared away, revealing Hercules once more. He was significantly calmer than what he was earlier, but he looked physically exhausted. It took him a few minutes to regain his composure before saying, "Forgive me. I hope you three learned a lesson from this whole experience. However, you must not tell ANYONE about what you saw and did. Hades is just as serious about this as I am."

Ten Cents, Sunshine, and Zorran were visibly shaken, but they gave cautious nods. The sun started to rise over the horizon, a sign that morning was here. The four tugs hurried back to Bigg City before the Coast Guard and other vessels arrived, but the experience would forever be etched into their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick bio of Hades in case anyone needs it:
> 
> The maroon counterpart of the ocean tug Hercules, Hades is harsh and demanding. His job is collecting the souls of deceased vessels and sending them to purgatory, but is merciless to anyone who catches him doing such things. Hades is incredibly protective of anyone who is a friend of Hercules. Likewise, he is cruel to enemies and often tortures them to the point of death.
> 
> Although Hades is free to do what he pleases, Hercules is ultimately the one who reigns him in when things go too far. Likewise, Hades does the same (especially when something is going to die).


	14. Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I return! School has been hogging my time, but I do have time to explore ideas and concepts. I decided to focus more on the Hercules and Zorran dynamic, and as always, threw in a hc as well. Enjoy!

Later on that morning, Captain Starr received word that Columbus sank. The Coast Guard also found that his face was gone, suggesting that he died overnight. The Stars hung their heads low, showing respect to the sunken ferry. Ten Cents and Sunshine looked at Hercules, wondering if he was going to show respect. After all, Hercules (and Hades) had put Columbus out of his misery and collected his soul. Hercules finally hung his head low, but his lips curved into a grin. The switchers went silent, and decided to stay unusually silent for the rest of the day. 

A few weeks had passed, and it was now the beginning of the winter season in Bigg City. Due to the snow and ice, Captain Starr had moved his fleet to a temporary headquarters Up River. Hercules had to stay behind of course, but did not mind this at all. Besides, there were plenty of ways for the ocean tug to spend his time as opposed to being stuck at the Star Dock. There were contracts, but then there was spending time with Lillie. And doing things that Hades would approve of. 

Hercules saw the other Stars off that morning and was getting ready to help escort a passenger ferry, but a lingering thought was weighing on his mind. There was Zorran, who was also there when Hercules revealed himself to be Hades. The attempt on the Z Stack’s life was sufficient in his eyes, but there was something… nagging at him. Hades appeared in a reflection on the water, glaring at Hercules. It appeared that he wanted to do more, especially since Zorran would probably try to report the ocean tug to the Navy. After a moment of consideration, Hercules whispered, “We'll do it, but don't push it.”

Elsewhere in Bigg City, Zorran was taking a small break in between contract work. Captain Zero did not have as many contracts secured Up River, so it would not be for a few more weeks before the Z Stacks would be sent up for the winter too. As he was about to doze off, he was rudely awoken by Hercules blasting his hooter. “Hercules! What are you doing here?” He asked, trying to stay sharp. However, his reaction gave away weakness.

“Apologies if I scared you Zorran, but there is something pressing on my mind.” Hercules said, his expression and tone serious. He got next to Zorran and stopped, turning to look right into the harbor tug's soul. “It's about, you know, the Columbus incident.”

Zorran remembered the incident well, and immediately froze up. It was useless to try and attack Hercules directly, as the latter could easily murder him. Even if he tried to use words, his opponent's replies would shake to the core. Finally, after a few moments, he asked, “Why did you decide to bring it up then? Especially since the whole thing happened weeks ago?”

“The Columbus incident is a very serious matter sweetheart. My biggest fear is the truth to come out, especially since who else would tell the truth about the whole thing but you.” Hercules said, the air becoming cold. “We're very concerned about you telling the world about this, and we mean it.”

“We?” Zorran was befuddled by what Hercules meant. “Is Hades concerned that me, an innocent harbor tug, is going to taddle on you? Ha, I'd die if that were the case-”

“LIES.” A loud voice pierced the air, catching the Z Stack by surprise and forcing him to silence. Hercules was quiet, wanting the other to make his move. Zorran looked down at the water and his eyes widened in shock. Somehow, Hades took the place of the ocean tug’s reflection. Was this an illusion? Or was there something else about Hercules that he didn't know about? 

“Alright Hercules, this is going too far! You can't just sit here and try to play mind games y’know.” Zorran hissed, still trying to act tough. However, it was very tempting to leave the ocean tug and tell the Navy. Especially now. When it looked like the Z Stack was going to move, he felt a strong tug and stopped in his tracks. 

“I'm not done yet Zorran.” The voice was now distinctly Hades’, making the Z Stack finally go silent. This pleased Hercules and Hades greatly, and Hades hissed, “We still need to lay some rules first. You must not tell anyone of this. You may think we won't find out, but we do. You also must not tempt me to my breaking point, that will be your loss and my gain.” 

The rules seemed simple enough to break, but the risk of death was very real. Hades possessed such tremendous power that it was a miracle that Zorran had made it this far without dying. However, before he could speak, he felt a sharp stinging pain on his bow! He hissed and looked around to see who was responsible, now becoming desperate. After a moment, he felt himself loosen, and he hurried away from the scene with fear in his eyes. 

Hercules chuckled, smoke retreating back to his stack. Now it was a game to see if Zorran would make his move. He felt Hades was now back inside him as opposed to being exposed, and a mental conversation soon started. “Did we do a good job scaring him? It appears as though he'll try again in a few days.”

“A little dose of pain helps, but look at him suffer! He looks so desperate to have a gain over us that he can't make his move properly.” Hades whispered, his voice a lot more gentle than what it was earlier. “If he wants to play dirty, you have the birds and the submarine on your side. Fortunately they're more cunning than Burke and Blair were. And even smarter than Zorran and his lackeys, they're so-”

“Bumbling?” Hercules asked, now starting his engine once more. “I'll give Zorran a chance to make his move. However, I am not opposed to doing simple little marks like that to scare him. We need to make it clear that each misstep leads to something worse.”

“Sounds reasonable. You may want to show off your strength once in a while, make him bend.” Hades purred, as if he was getting ready to tempt Hercules. “Besides, it gives me a way to overpower him without being too violent. But I won't hesitate to put an end-”

“The last thing we need is the Navy on my keel!” Hercules retorted, causing the nagging feeling Hades was giving to slowly go away. “We can do little marks, but only that. We can go for more serious wounds or even death as a last resort if that sounds fair to you. After all, we do have to consider his fleetmates.”

When the nagging feeling stopped, Hercules took it as confirmation that Hades approved of this method. After all, it was much better to do it than to instantly kill Zorran. And on the spot too. The ocean tug started up his engine and went off to go to work, now grinning wickedly.

-

A week had passed, and the other Z Stacks were noticing a change in Zorran. The normally scheming and ruthless leader was now paranoid. No one knew what caused such a change, leading them to wonder if he was threatened with being sold or worse, scrapped. They all knew that Zorran had contracted microbonic plague from the time he escorted the plagued Nantucket, and that it was costly to scrape each bout of rust. They were incredibly worried for him, but each time they asked, he dismissed them. 

That afternoon, Zorran was taking a short break from a steel contract. Bigg City Harbor was awfully quiet, but he did not mind this at all. He decided to spend his time by paying a visit to Bob. After all, he knew how much the buoy would like to gossip. Unless… an idea popped up, and Zorran smiled for the first time in days. Perhaps it might be time for payback.

He sailed to a part of the dock where the buoy was, looking around to see if Hercules was watching. If he wanted to be successful, he had to make sure the ocean tug was not watching him. Once the coast was clear, he sailed up to the buoy, a frown on his face 

“Ey Big Z, you okay?” Bob asked, noticing how miserable the Z Stack was. “You look like you served in the war! Unless that is, you're shivering like a lunatic.”

“I'm fine Bob.” Zorran said, trying to look rough before heaving a sigh. “It’s just that there was something that happened a few weeks ago. Something that involved me and Hercules! There's-”

“Hercules beat ya up badly? Not surprised at all considering how protective he is.” The buoy huffed, looking up at the harbor tug. “Listen, give no notice to him, and you should be good. I don't wanna see you become a punching bag for the guy. Or whatever that is.” 

Zorran realized he was going to be late and thanked Bob before hurrying off. As he sailed on towards his next contract, he spotted Hercules. And Hercules looked like he wasn't too amused. The Z Stack gulped and sailed past Hercules, glaring as he did so. Hercules simply looked on and let out a few puffs of smoke, not in the mood to talk. Zorran continued to sail on, but felt something slice his cheek. Something small must have done it, but it stung. He quickly realized that smoke was responsible, but by the time he found out, Hercules was gone. Zorran cursed under his breath and hurried away.

Bob was dozing off when he spotted Hercules. What was he doing out here? It was very uncommon for the ocean tug to be in this part of harbor, and he had good reason to be confused. “What're you doing here?” He called.

“Just sailing around old boy. I noticed Zorran acting funny earlier, and I was wondering if he did anything with you.” Hercules replied, now up close to the buoy. “Did he share anything serious with you? I noticed he looked confident.”

“I ain't sharing wise guy. Now beat it and sail away!” Bob snapped. “Besides, you don't have a right to creep up on others! Zorran said you-” He quickly silenced himself, unsure if the Z Stack told him to keep it a secret.

“Zorran what?” Hercules asked, now furious. He knew that arguing would get him nowhere, and fighting would make the matter worse. He eyed some seagulls and looked down at Pluto (who was perched on his bow). A wicked idea soon came in his head, and he asked, “Pluto, can you go to the buoy over there? He might need to be taught a lesson.” 

Bob was befuddled, watching as Pluto flew off of Hercules and landed on him. “Who's Pluto anyway?” He asked, looking up at the raven. 

“Pluto is a close friend of mine.” The ocean tug calmly replied, motioning for Pluto to approach the seagulls. “Raised him since birth too.”

“So he's your pet huh?” Bob asked, intrigued. He was about to ask when he could hear squawking from right above him. The seagulls who lived on his perch came down, trying to peck him at the eyes! Bob screamed and tried to deflect the assault, but nothing could be done. 

“So what did Zorran tell you exactly?” Hercules calmly asked, not caring that Bob was being attacked. “Or would having everything pecked out to shreds be more viable? I'll give you time to make your decision.” 

Bob hissed, feeling himself get scraped. Finally, he caved in. “Alright alright! Get those feathered rats offa me!” He said, now whining in defeat. The seagulls flew off, revealing that Bob was scraped and had several pecks close to his eyes. “Zorran told me that you beat him up, or something like that. Please don't-”

“I won't damage you beyond repair.” Hercules said, watching as Pluto flew back and landed on his lamp. “What you told me is sufficient. Cheers.” He soon left, leaving behind a traumatized buoy. 

-

It was close to Christmas, and the harbor was becoming busy yet again. Despite the snow and ice, ships were coming carrying all sorts of cargo. Hercules was heading to the fueling depot to take on oil after helping take a cargo ship out to sea. It was keeping him busy yes, but he longed to be back out on the open sea once spring came. 

As the ocean tug was sailing on, a flock of terns was flying over him to find fish. Hercules did not mind this, and continued sailing on. However, Hades decided to have some fun. After all, this sort of work was boring. In an instant, Hercules found himself turning into Hades. A tern flew dangerously close, and Hades quickly sucked it in. No sooner did he do this that Hercules was now in control. 

“Ack! Did you really think this was funny?” Hercules asked, spitting out the now deceased bird into the water. “Now I have feathers all over my teeth! And the possibility of us being exposed.”

Hades appeared in the place of Hercules’ reflection, laughing rather loudly. “You don't know how to have fun properly, especially since I caught it just for you.” He said, feigning disappointment. “You never appreciate my hunting skills, and that is- Oh?”

Out in the distance was Zorran. And he was wide eyed. Hercules went into a panic, wondering if Zorran saw any of this happen. He pushed aside his worries and calmly approached the harbor tug. “Something happen Zorran?” He asked.

Zorran inched back, sweat rolling down his forehead. “I swore I saw Hades suck in something! Please-” But he was silenced with a stare from Hercules. 

“Stop panicking. Now you won't tell anyone of what you saw just now, yes?” Hercules asked, shaking off some snow. 

“Yeah yeah, but you're starting to creep me out a little bit. I mean, it's almost Christmas!” Zorran nodded, now back to his usual self. “Let me take a break from trying to make your life miserable, yeah? Promise that I won't try to taddle on ya for the rest of the year too!”

Zorran acting like this was expected, but it made Hercules suspicious. There was a real chance that Zorran could break his promise, but he knew that Zorran was no stupid tug. He was cunning after all, and there were times where the two went head to head over lucrative contracts. 

After a moment, Hercules said, “I suppose I'll give you another chance old boy, but this is your final chance. I promise to not be harsh with you for the rest of this year too. But you must uphold your end of it.” With a blast of his hooter, he left Zorran behind. “Oh, and Merry Christmas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes:
> 
> You may have noticed that Hercules went from polite to ruthless in this chapter. I headcanon his cheery nature being just a ruse, and that he can actually be merciless. He'll go from polite to brutal if you're an enemy of his, and it doesn't help that he's incredibly strong and is not afraid to use his temper to get his point across.
> 
> Hades is his own individual being, and I will explain more about him in the next chapter.
> 
> Hercules can manipulate birds by using Pluto (his raven). That is how he wants something done.


	15. Rough Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spring break for me is this week, so why not celebrate it by posting a new chapter of Death on the Water? As we near the end game, the chapters will get longer (If you guys are ok with that sort of thing). We also get our first actual major character death, so be warned.

It was now January, and Hercules found himself going Up River one evening. He received word from one of Starr's secretaries that Big Mac had gotten into an accident and needed to be repaired. The other tugs could manage just fine, but Hercules was needed to assist in contracts that the other tugs had difficulty with.

As he was sailing up, he found himself getting stuck. His one weakness was the river, as his draft made it difficult for him to properly navigate without getting stuck. He tried to back out, but that would cause damage to him. As he struggled, he spotted a shape in the distance and flashed his light. Seeing what it was, he sighed a breath of relief.

"Say mister, ya need a hand?" Billy asked, trying to be polite. It was very rare for him to see Hercules, let alone anyone larger than Zorran. "These waters aren't made for you ocean going folk. Say, what does Captain Starr need you all the way up here? Especially since these waters aren't made for you and all." He shot forth a tow rope, and tried to secure the large ocean tug.

"Well…" Hercules was incredibly embarrassed to say the least, and his cheeks went pink. Especially since he didn't like this weakness being so casually pointed out. "Captain Starr's secretary asked me to come up and assist. Here-" He quickly shot forth his own tow ropes, and assisted Billy in making sure that he was secure.

"Yeah Big Mac blew his engine big time." Billy sighed, thanking Hercules for his help. "Something about trying to take on something the Zeds threw at him. Or whatever happened when he got hit. I wish I could've helped him, but the Navy took away my dynamite!" His voice showed anger, something that was uncommon with the alligator tug.

"The Navy, confiscate your dynamite?" Hercules was intrigued. He felt Hades panic, and he tried his best to get those feelings to leave. "I know the Fire Authority and the Munitions Company get leery each time you use that stuff but the Navy… that is most unusual. Reminds me of the times human soldiers stole weapons from others."

"Bluenose got shut up by his boss, and possibly for good." The alligator tug said, getting a stare from the ocean tug. "She was getting nowhere with the whole reaper thing, so she had to do it to him-"

"Not surprised in the slightest." Hercules interrupted. However, something wasn't right. If Bluenose was indeed disposed of, would the feelings of impending death come up? Or was it a ruse to lure him? "It seems Timberwolf is getting desperate to get any sort of information. Her reputation is on the line, yet she blames the reaper for it."

"Heh I believe ya alright." Billy chuckled, now positive again. "Sounds like that woman needs to get sent back to her port. To be honest, I liked it when Bluenose was in charge. I don't know if you disagree with me, but I think he was more humane."

There were times where Hercules was tempted to send Bluenose to a watery grave, but Billy had a point. He knew that Bluenose would not go that far to subdue such a threat like Hades, or even Johnny Cuba for that fact. What Timberwolf was doing felt so… wrong. He now had every reason to be furious at the Navy.

Billy decided to focus on the main task of getting Hercules unstuck, but getting that was not as easy as it looked. Hercules was massive after all, and so Billy struggled. Hercules then applied some of his engine power to try and assist, and after a while, he was freed. After a long trip, Hercules quietly thanked Billy and slipped through before falling asleep.

The next morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine woke up to find Hercules moored at one of the docks close by. This caught them by surprise, and they hurried over to see what had happened. "Hercules, what're you doing up here? You aren't even made for rivers!" Sunshine gasped, trying to process what he was seeing.

"Apparently Captain Starr asked me to come up here to assist you. Big Mac damaged his engine, or so I heard." Hercules replied, being honest. It was useless to lie around the switchers, especially after everything that happened. "Billy helped tow me, and told me many things. Listen, do you two know what happened to Bluenose by any chance? Billy said that Bluenose was-"

"He told you about Bluenose?" Sunshine asked. "He actually got sent through shakedown! Billy thought Timberwolf blew him up, but the Munitions Company bought him!"

Hercules chuckled at the irony before asking, "Who told you?" That made a lot more sense, especially since he didn't get the impression that there was death in the harbor. However, something still wasn't adding up.

"That would be me." Bluenose sailed over, his Navy hat replaced with with a plain black cap. His grey Navy colors were also done away, now replaced with a blue color scheme similar to Sea Rogue's. "Timberwolf discharged me from service and had the Navy put me up for sale. It's disgraceful, but-"

"No buts." Hercules said, trying to wrap his head around what Timberwolf had done. " You still had many years left of service in the Navy sweetie. How long does Timberwolf have anyway?"

"Sweetie?! I'm not your wife!" Bluenose snapped, prompting giggles from Ten Cents and Sunshine. "Timberwolf is supposed to be retired in a few months anyway, and she wants to retire in style. However, more vessels are becoming aware that she takes bribes."

"So that's why she took Billy's dynamite!" Sunshine exclaimed. "Has she tried taking away items from the Munitions Company?"

"As far as I know, no." Bluenose replied, shaking his head. "Say, aren't you three supposed to be doing something? You might be late!" Ten Cents and Sunshine chuckled and hurried off, leaving Bluenose and Hercules behind.

-

It was getting close to the evening, and Hercules was sailing back to the dock after a long day of work. The other Star Tugs were surprised to see Hercules so far up, but they appreciated his help. As he sailed on, he heard something and went quiet at once. There, near the pier, were two men walking along. Based on their outfits, they worked at one of the repair facilities close by.

"Some Navy boat came in the dead of night and struck Big Mac. Poor Mac got his engine damaged in the process." One man said, not noticing that Hercules was watching them. "I noticed some blue paint on the guy's body too. We don't usually see the Navy so far up here too, so it's definitely off."

"What makes you say that?" The other man asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know the tugs have lines and shoot them up like tentacles. However, that's goin' too far. How would it know where to hit?"

"Exactly! That's why Mac was rammed first before his engine was sabotaged!" The first man smiled, feeling proud of himself. "Come on, let's get something to eat before we head home."

Hercules was left with more questions than ever before. Sabotaged? By someone in the Navy? The only Navy tug who was up here was Bluenose, and he was turned into a civilian tug! Unless...

The ocean tug soon felt Hades' presence, and he could tell how lost in thought the other was. "Something tells me it is a trick." He hissed, piercing the deepest pits of Hercules' being. "A ruse you will, to get you in a corner you cannot get out of. And I do not want us to get stuck in that situation."

"How? I may need to lie low, but someone might be observing our actions." Hercules mentally replied, now sailing away from the pier. "Even then, the Navy might send more spies if one fails their mission! I don't want you, us to be destroyed!"

"Wouldn't killing them all suffice? After all, your sense of justice is stronger than even their mightiest ships." Hades purred. "Maybe not all, but most prefer fame over what is actually needed. Give the spy time, they'll show themselves eventually."

Hercules hummed at the suggestion, the desired dock in sight. "Now stay low for a little while. I do not want any tricks." He said, the nagging feelings for vengeance fading away. He was pleased to see his friends, but now, more than ever, was to make sure they were all kept safe.

-

Hercules was working hard, and took his time to catch up on what was happening Up River. Ten Cents and Sunshine introduced him to Boomer, the Unlucky Tug. He also mingled with some of the leisure boats who called this place home. However, he couldn't help but notice that he was being watched sometimes tried to observe his actions. Hercules dismissed it as Bluenose falling back to old habits, but it was starting to get bothersome. He kept low though, keeping Bluenose away.

One snowy afternoon, Hercules was taking a break after doing a lumber contract in Mittsville. He was about to go to sleep when Ten Cents steamed up to him. "Hey Herc!" The switcher greeted. "Taking a quick snooze I see? Lazy bum!"

"Me, lazy? Ha I'm the one doing all the long distance contracts!" Hercules teased, letting out a chuckle. "Don't get your hopes down darling, I can make these contracts simple."

After a moment of thinking, Ten Cents quietly asked, "So this has been on my mind for a little while, especially after the whole thing with Columbus. How did you know you could become Hades anyway?"

"How I became Hades? Ten, this story goes a long ways. You're familiar with Honda Point, right?" Hercules asked, frowning. This subject was very difficult to speak about, and he had only told this to Grampus.

"I know some ships ran aground, but that's about it. Why?" The switcher replied, wondering why his friend was asking such a thing.

"Honda Point was when the Navy made themselves the laughingstock of the whole world." Hercules replied. "The ships that ran aground were Navy destroyers. They lost an entire fleet of them too."

"An entire fleet?" Ten Cents asked, eyes widening. "How do you and Hades fit into all of this anyway? Were you at the port or happened or-"

Hercules sighed and began his story. "It all started a few days after the incident happened. I was a bit of a fireball during my younger years, but I started getting mature."

-1923-

Hercules was sailing down from his home port in San Francisco to Lompoc, wondering what exactly the Navy needed him for. His interactions with them were only negative, leading him to worry that he was going to be tried. Or the Navy had gotten desperate and needed him. Either way, it left him confused. As he sailed on, he found his answer.

Several Navy destroyers bobbed above the ocean waves, all in various states of death and near-death. Hercules was used to seeing many things come in and out of port, but this made those encounters a cake walk! He tried to keep a cool head, but it was difficult to not lose it. He had to quickly sail away, as he would have certainly broken down in tears. When he arrived at port, he spotted several Navy tugs. One of the tugs, who was larger than the rest, spotted Hercules at once.

"Ah, there you are Hercules!" The Navy tug said, blowing his hooter to greet the ocean tug. "I take it your journey went smoothly yes?"

"Went smoothly sir. However my charts were affected due to the quake in Japan." Hercules replied, straightening up. "The destroyers sir, what is to happen to them?"

"We have contracted a scrapper, but they have not sent anyone as far as I know. However, there is a more pressing matter we need to discuss." The Navy tug replied, looking right into Hercules' eyes. "We have received reports of a rogue ship spotted near one of the destroyers. However, the fog has made it very difficult for eyewitnesses to get a good description of it."

"So instead of sending one of your stronger vessels to take this ship on, you send me?" Hercules was befuddled. And furious. "What makes you think such an idea could work? Especially since we don't know what this ship is like and what it does."

"Some of our stronger tugs are not in fine shape, but you are." The Navy tug calmly replied, having taken on many tugs like Hercules during his years of service. "You can put your temper to good use and scare the ship into submission. If that's what you prefer."

"Anything to stop crime would do. I prefer it done by my own terms though." Hercules said, still defiant. "I'll help you out, but if I can't do it, you're on your own." With that, he headed to the nearest port to prepare and refuel. The Navy tug was speechless, but soon went his own way.

That evening, Hercules sailed on into the night. He heard rumors from other ships in port of how the ship would go out at night to avoid detection. Perhaps by doing so, he might catch his opponent by surprise. The journey to the wreck uneventful, and Hercules took his time to familiarize himself with what he was about to do. He heard the twisting of metal, and headed towards one of the capsized destroyers.

He flashed his light, and was befuddled by what he saw. Right near one of the wrecked destroyers was a fishing boat. "Gotten lost sweetheart?" He asked, his voice calm. After all, he wanted to lull the other into a false sense of security. "Come on, I'll take you to port."

The fishing vessel hissed, and the area started to get foggy. "No, you need to leave! I have business to attend to!" She replied, showing fear in her voice. "It's getting awfully dangerous for someone like yourself!"

"Business hm? If business involves fishing near Navy vessels, that is a poor business decision." Hercules huffed, his polite demeanour now changed. Now he had to use bigger cards to get her to surrender. "Or are you doing something more sinister? I've seen vessels like you be used for criminal activity."

The fishing vessel panicked, surprised Hercules saw through her ruse. She tried to look for an escape route, the fog getting thicker to where Hercules could barely see past his bow. Then, she could make her getaway! Hercules was not phased, and shot forth one of his tow ropes at the fishing vessel. He watched in horror as the rope was shredded. He shot forth another tow rope, but was instead greeted by a horrible sight. The fog unravelled, revealing that the fishing vessel was painted maroon. Her face showed anger and malice, eyes glowing a fiery red.

"You are making this difficult for everyone. I am doing the Navy a favor by letting their dead and dying pass on peacefully!" She snapped, but her voice wasn't her own. It shook the core of Hercules's soul, but the tug was determined to not let the fishing vessel get away.

"Hun, you're only doing yourself a favor." Hercules replied. "Now cut your engine and come with-argh!" The fishing vessel shot forth one of her own tow ropes, but due to the accuracy of the hit, struck Hercules on the nose!

The normally calm and cool-headed ocean tug was now furious. Blood was trickling down his face, and the water around him was boiling to where even the fishing vessel was uncomfortable due. The only way to subdue the vessel at this point was force, and fortunately Hercules had plenty of steam to do such a thing. Perhaps a single charge would do, as he knew that would get most vessels limping. The fishing vessel inched back nervously, but something inside her urged her to charge as well and be done with it. She was about to make her move when-

Wham!

The fishing vessel screamed in agony to where her voice went hoarse, feeling her body crack due to the force of the charge. Hercules quickly dislodged himself from her hull, revealing a massive hole near her bow. The fishing vessel looked up at the ocean tug in terror and fear, her vision slowly fading to nothing more than the fog fading away. As she slipped under the calm ocean waters, she curved her lips into a grin.

Hercules, satisfied with what he had done, was getting ready to head back to the dock to let the Navy know what happened. However, the smile on the fishing vessel's face disturbed him. Was she demanding death, even if her actions clearly did not show it? Or was something causing her to act like this, to sail out at night? He put those worries aside and hurried home, struggling to stop the wound from getting infected.

-Present Day-

"So that was it? Was Hades taking control of the-" Ten Cents was about to ask when he was hushed by Hercules. "How did you exactly meet Hades anyway?"

"I didn't know that the fishing vessel was being controlled by Hades at the time." Hercules explained, gesturing to Hades grinning in the water below. "It wasn't until a few days after the confrontation with her that he first started showing up in my head."

"Showing up?" The switcher was now concerned. "Are you two separate guys sharing a body? Or am I missing something here?"

"Hades is his own being. However, he'll really reveal himself under dire circumstances. Usually he takes control of me to reap souls or fight when needed." Hercules explained, getting nervous.

"I take it you're uncomfortable with sharing that bit." Ten Cents remarked, noticing Hercules tense up. "Are you sure you want to tell the rest of your story, or can you-"

"If you have a being introducing itself by suddenly appearing in your head out of the blue, it drives you mad." Hercules simply answered. "I didn't go mad, but I was driven to the point of madness on several occasions. That is all you need to know, I do not want to traumatize you."

Ten Cents frowned, but Hercules had a point. He was simply too young to understand such things, and trying to even think of what his friend went through would give him nightmares for days. He sighed and said in a quiet voice, "Thanks Herc. For telling the story. It kinda gives me closure as well."

"Don't gush it out my little angel." Hercules chuckled, playfully nudging the switcher. "In fact, I'm feeling quite chipper since telling you the story. Come on, let's get back before the sun sets."

Ten Cents nodded, and the two tugs sailed back to the port. Big Mac was back, meaning that he was successfully repaired. This meant that Hercules would now have to go back to Bigg City until he was needed again or until spring had come.

That evening, Hercules was sailing out of the dock Up River towards the main way back to Bigg City. All was quiet it seemed, but Hercules felt he was being followed. He turned on his light, and moved cautiously as to not draw attention. Then, out of the blue, he noticed something coming in the opposite direction.

He blew hooter to let whatever it was know what was about to happen. As the shape got closer, he was caught by surprise. "Bluenose, what are you doing at this time of night?" He asked.

"I'm sorry Hercules, but I was patrolling. Really hard to kick the old Navy habits out of you." Bluenose replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Heading home." The ocean tug replied. "Say, you know about what happened to Big Mac? I was very curious about the whole thing, so it might be best to ask you."

"Big Mac was struck in a collision by the Zeds! I was just sailing up to the Munitions Company at the time to start a new civilian life." Bluenose answered. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's that I overheard a conversation a few days ago." Hercules replied. "One man said that Big Mac was struck by a Navy vessel and his engine was damaged. The give away was the paint on the dent."

"Nonsense!" Bluenose retorted. "I was sailing up here at the time of the collision! You're making stuff up!" However, he was sweating nervously. "What makes you think I intentionally sabotaged Big Mac, huh?"

Hercules noticed a patch of paint on Bluenose's bow, but it looked sloppily done. Perhaps there was more than what Bluenose was willing to tell him. He squinted and noticed that there was a considerable dent, but the paint did a good job at hiding it. Immediately, his temper started to flare, making it hard for him to remain calm. "Did Timberwolf send you up here to try and trap me?" He spat, his voice becoming cold and harsh. "Did she?" With that, he rammed into Bluenose!

"Yes yes, she did! She was getting tips from an anonymous source that somehow you were tied to the Grim Reaper case!" Bluenose replied, fearing for his life. He hissed in pain and tried to limp forward, but the dent was starting to become more obvious. "She sent me up here to try and coax you so that way we could detain you for questioning. Please, spare me!"

"Sparing you won't be beneficial to anyone but Timberwolf herself. You're simply just a pawn in her game." Hercules bluntly said, striking the Navy tug again. "Who told Timberwolf exactly? Tell me!"

Bluenose went silent, refusing to let the name escape his lips. The area around him started to become increasingly foggy, and suddenly- "GAH!" Bluenose found himself being frozen, watching as the ice imprisoned him. He was now subject to whoever was doing this, as he knew that movement would lead to such damage.

Hercules had disappeared, only for Hades to take his place. The maroon tug hissed and let out a few puffs of smoke, which slowly slinked around The Navy tug before slicing him right at the eyes. Bluenose howled in pain, and tried to shoot out his lines. However, they had become frozen solid. Within minutes, the smoke wrapped around Bluenose and started to crush him.

"Would you like to tell me who told Timberwolf? Or would you rather get decimated by things you can't even see?" Hades asked, smiling at the other's suffering.

"Never..." Bluenose mumbled, too weak to properly speak without feeling pain. "I would rather die a free man than to suffer." His body started to crack due to the pressure the smoke was putting on it, and eventually it shattered. Bluenose was no more.

Hades immediately turned back into Hercules, and he went to work making sure the fragmented remains were unrecognizable to other vessels and humans. Then, he quietly headed for home.

-

Word of Bluenose's disappearance spread quickly through Bigg City and the surrounding area, but he was never found. Because of the circumstances of the disappearance, many believed that a munitions accident led to Bluenose's demise.

At the Star Dock, Hercules was getting ready to go out into the open ocean. He was to go assist in handling distress calls, as floating ice could pose a risk to smaller ships. He just shook off some ice when he spotted Ten Cents.

"Hey Herc!" The switcher smiled, steaming up to his friend. "You heading to the sea again?"

"Yes. Floating ice means risk for smaller vessels in the area." Hercules answered. "I swear one of these days we need an icebreaker ship. I know some countries use them when dealing with ice."

"I take it we aren't as advanced as them." Ten Cents replied, mimicking Hercules' voice. "Teasing, teasing! Anyways, how have you been holding up?"

"Just fine. No need to fuss over me anyways." Hercules chuckled, shaking his head. "Just be sure to stay on top of things. And do what you feel is best!" With that, Hercules left the Star Dock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Honda Point disaster was one of the most major naval disasters in American history. An entire fleet struck rocks due to a navigation error, but a few managed to break free. The rusted hulls of the other ships are still there.
> 
> The decision to kill off Bluenose was on a whim. I originally decided that he would be retired for good, but I chose to kill him off after playing around with the possibility that he be used by Timberwolf.


	16. Fall From Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole premise behind this chapter has been on my mind for a few months, and I played around with various ideas of what was going to happen. NefariousScalin and I were spitballing ideas after I decided to go and kill off one of the major characters in TUGS, and she even wrote a very terrifying death scene. She has graciously allowed me permission to use the death scene in the story.
> 
> The chapter is a bit on the graphic side, so major caution if you're not into that sort of thing. Enjoy!

It was now March, and Bluenose's disappearance was now nothing more than a mere memory. Hercules was the only one who knew what really happened, and intended to keep it that way. If the truth was indeed revealed, the entire Star Fleet could have been put in mortal danger. Hercules would have been arrested and destroyed for his actions, but his fleetmates would likely suffer the same fate as him. This was why he was so secretive about the whole incident, as he knew one misstep would spell disaster.

One late afternoon, Hercules had just returned from assisting the Duchess out to sea. All he needed now was a refuel and a quick brush up before going out into the night to answer distress calls. And collecting the souls of the deceased. He could feel Hades bubble with excitement, as he knew the being found ocean tugging and anything to do with long distance contracts boring.

"Hey Herc." Ten Cents greeted, looking up at Hercules with a small grin. "You look like you're getting ready for a party or something! Is there anything big going on tonight?"

"No not really. Just getting myself nice and clean before, you know." Hercules replied in a quiet voice, gesturing to Hades in the water. "Is something wrong Ten Cents? You still might have some qualms about me being a host of sorts to Hades and every unpleasant thing that comes with it."

"About that, Sun and I spotted someone talking to Timberwolf and giving her money recently!" The switcher replied. "I couldn't get a good view of who was doing it of course, as they were near some shady buildings and all that. I think the Navy might be-"

"Oh I've known about the Navy coming after me since January." Hercules sighed, his voice now getting quieter to where it was simply a hushed whisper. "Bluenose was actually sent Up River to detain me for questioning, even sabotaging Big Mac to lure me in. However, when I asked him who was telling the Navy about me, he wouldn't cooperate. So I had no option but let Hades take control of my body and kill Bluenose."

"Really? You and Bluenose always hated each other." Ten Cents was startled by what Hercules had done. Yet, he was half expecting the ocean tug to do such a thing. "Did he ever tell you who was giving tips to the Navy?" He asked.

"No." Hercules replied coldly. He watched as Sunshine was sailing in, but he squinted to notice that the smaller switcher was panicking. "Sunshine what's wrong?" He asked, showing surprise in his voice.

"Zorran, he's coming here with Timberwolf!" Sunshine said, eyes wide with shock. "Hercules, you need to get out of here for your own good!"

"Zorran and Timberwolf?!" Ten Cents gasped. "Herc wouldn't have enough time to get out of here without getting caught!"

It was too late to argue, as Zorran steamed in with Timberwolf right next to him. Zorran had a face of satisfaction and overconfidence, looking at Hercules with a smirk across his face. "He's the Grim Reaper Madam! You wouldn't expect it from-"

"Are you even sure Hercules is the Grim Reaper?" Timberwolf asked, her face stoic. "He doesn't look like it to me, but you said that he was very protective over something. And when we sent Bluenose to detain him, he vanished. Pity he did, otherwise we would have gotten a lot of information on him."

Something inside Hercules snapped, and he was ready to attack with full force. However, he remained still, as lashing out like this would reveal himself as Hades to the world. He looked on at the two switchers, realizing the situation would worsen very quickly if he did make his move.

Ten Cents and Sunshine were incredibly nervous, but they bravely pushed themselves in between Hercules and Zorran. "You won't sail past us! Besides," Ten Cents said, turning to give one last wink to Hercules before saying, "I am the Grim Reaper!"

Everyone gasped! Sunshine and Hercules looked at Ten Cents as if he was crazy, and were now quietly pleading for him to take back what he said. Timberwolf looked at the switcher and asked in a shaky voice, "Really? What is your proof switcher?"

"When I was quarantined, I quickly recovered due to my immunity to illness." Ten Cents answered. "However, the Geir got even more sick during my stay. I was also out near the Columbus when he too passed on. And the yacht. And the other cargo ship."

Zorran was about to shout lies when Timberwolf silenced him. "It seems you brought me to the right suspect. Come along switcher, we need you for questioning at once." She said, ignoring the desperate pleas from Sunshine. Ten Cents steamed forward and left with Timberwolf, leaving the other tugs behind.

Once Ten Cents and Timberwolf disappeared from his line of sight, Hercules motioned for Sunshine to leave. After all, it would be for his own good. Once Sunshine hurried off back to the Star Dock with tears in his eyes, Zorran and Hercules remained. To say that the ocean tug was infuriated was an understatement, and he asked in a harsh voice, "Were you the one telling the Navy that I was Hades? And under the cover of anonymity too?"

"No you're just making stuff up!" Zorran lied, sweating nervously. However, Hercules was not the easiest tug to convince. Especially when he was furious. With that much power in a boat's body, it was a miracle that someone like Zorran managed to survive thus far. Finally he caved in. "Alright, I was going to turn you in! It's just that you were creeping me out! Besides, we would have gotten a unique edge over you lousy-"

"I've heard enough of your little excuses Zorran." Hercules hissed, looking right into Zorran's eyes. "You were trying to gain advantage of this whole situation after all. And to get the Navy involved just so that you can get away with your games? Pathetic." As he spoke, the air grew terribly cold, making the Z Stack shudder in fear. In the water below, Hades manifested himself, now growling and had a face that showed that death was imminent.

The Z Stack let out a shriek and scurried away from the ocean tug, slinking past him before making a left. It took all of his willpower to not look behind him, or else he would never get away with his scheme. Zorran exerted all of his power in his engine, making sure he could get away as fast as he could.

Hercules was not surprised that this, and a wicked idea came into his head. Knowing that the tugs at Zero and Marine were poorly maintained, he could exploit this. He looked Pluto (who was perched on his deck) and said in a quiet voice, "Find him, and make him break." Once the raven flew off, the ocean tug turned around and went after Zorran, the urge to put an end to the other tug's misdeeds driving him on.

Meanwhile, Zorran's path led him to a quay near the port which had fallen into disrepair, and he had difficulty properly navigating without bumping into rotten timber. Hopefully, Hercules would have given up and headed home. However, that fantasy would never become reality. A raven perched on one of the timbers, and the Z Stack tried to scare it away by blowing his hooter. "Get off you lousy bird, there's a rampaging-"

"AAACK!" The raven called, refusing to fly away. Zorran felt the air grow cold again, but shrugged it off as something normal. However, in the corner of his eye, he spotted fog. Hercules must have followed him here! He hurried to a different part of the quay in a panic, not wanting to get caught. A few more crows now perched on some pieces of rusting equipment, all glaring at Zorran. It was as though they were taunting him, telling him that his time was running out.

The harbor tug did not care at this point, even if his engine was protesting the pressure put on it. He needed to get as far away from Hercules as possible, and the birds were not helping. In desperation, he started smacking birds away with his tow ropes. Most of the birds were able to fly off, but some were struck and fell into the water. Enthused, he continued his actions to try and get the birds to leave. Some of the birds decided to pay back, assaulting him with pecks and scratches.

Zorran hissed and tried to fight back, but he spotted something that looked like Hades out in the distance. Perhaps the birds were used to torture him, with Hades coming in to finish him. He hurried out of the quay in a panic, hoping he would lose the ocean tug. Besides, he figured, Hercules couldn't navigate those areas properly due to his massive size. He would then have a chance to get away with reporting him! However, there was one small problem. As Zorran headed towards a part of town that had been fallen into disrepair, he spotted a raven flying above him. He immediately recognized it as the one he spotted in the pier, and he panicked. Was Hercules somehow using these birds to keep tabs on him? Now was not the time to answer this question, as there was an ocean tug who was looking to kill him.

Meanwhile, Hercules sailed on at a surprisingly slow pace. It was as if he was going leisurely as opposed to putting his engine under intense pressure. He could easily catch Zorran that way, but it would be no fun. Besides, the birds were doing a good job at putting Zorran on edge (despite the casualties). He soon spotted some of the birds flying above a certain area of the city, and he chuckled before changing direction. There was no way of letting Zorran escape his clutches now.

Zorran was now lost in one of Bigg City's abandoned docks. Each time he tried to hide, some crows started to circle above him, forcing him out into the open. To make matters worse, his engine sounded like it was about to give out. He was sailing past a rotting shed when the idea came to him. Perhaps he could fit inside the shed! The ocean tug wouldn't find him now.

"Zorran you genius you!" Zorran said to himself, slipping inside the shed. After a while, he cautiously stuck his head out, and sighed a breath of relief. The sun had set, meaning that the birds left for home. He was about to exit when he noticed a ghastly white figure out in the distance. Zorran paled at the sight, and immediately retreated back to the safe confines of the shed. Perhaps it might be good to stay inside the shed for a little while longer.

Hercules was now in the dock, the fog covering his movements. It concealed the thrums of his engine, making him like a ghost. Although his birds were useless at night, there were other ways to coerce Zorran out into the open. Out in the distance, he spotted a shed and felt Zorran's presence. "Gotten lost Zorran?" Hercules asked, his voice calmer than what it was earlier. And tempting too. "Come on out old boy, no need to be shy with me."

Zorran heard those words and refused to come out, but his eyes widened when he noticed the area start to become increasingly foggy. "Buzz off won't ya!" He spat, using his lines to grab rusted equipment in an effort to prevent the ocean tug from entering. "Let me catch my breath first!"

"Not yet Zorran. I'm just getting started." Hercules chuckled, his shadow contorting into Hades. He let out a few puffs of smoke, humming softly as he did so. Immediately they turned into ghosts, and Hercules went silent. It was as if he was giving the ghosts orders to at least flush Zorran out of his hiding spot.

Zorran held his breath, trying to not make a peep. He looked nervously out of the entrance, seeing a bright light. Then- "AAAAAGGGH!" A ghost appeared behind him, letting out a screech. Zorran jumped forward, bumping into some of the equipment he had so carelessly thrown. "What was- By Neptune." He gasped, standing still. There, a cloud of thick fog was slowly rolling in. And it was heading right for the shed. In a panic, Zorran hurried out. If it was Hercules that was behind that fog, he would most certainly be doomed.

Zorran spotted a path that even he had a hard time properly sailing through, and an idea came into his head. He immediately turned right, exerting so much pressure his engine would have given out if he delayed it. He hoped and prayed Hercules was not trailing behind him, as these canals were small and cramped. As Zorran sailed through, he soon realized where he was in, and looked around frantically for a way out. The night sky, with its many stars, offered no help. He made a left, a right, and so on, but each turn was making precious time slip away.

Tow ropes shot through the darkness of Bigg City's maze of backwater canals as Zorran used every ounce of strength he could pull from his crippled engine to drag himself along. He had been running for what felt like hours now, and he had burned nearly all of his coal in the process. Behind him the fog was rolling in; impenetrable, oppressive, and deadly. From this distance the harbor tug couldn't make out the telltale thrum of his pursuer's engine, but he had no doubt that Hercules lurked just behind the fog. This knowledge alone was more than enough to spur him to continue dragging himself along, one quay at a time, in a last ditch effort to save himself. For the first time in his life, Zorran was panicking. He knew Hercules could outpace his agonizing slow crawl, but if he could just get far enough out of these derelict canals, then he could call for help.

Suddenly he felt a sharp tug on one of his aft bollards and knew the game was up. All forward motion ceased, and Zorran glanced back to see a single line stretching from his stern to the silhouette of his worst nightmare behind him. In a last ditch effort to save himself, he shot the strongest blast of steam he could manage up to his hooter, and was rewarded with a moment of near blinding agony and a sound like a gunshot. Moments later, a fine rain of rust punctuated by larger chunks of corroded steel rained down on his deck. Somehow in mere moments, his pristine whistle had been eaten to scrap and blasted apart the moment he tried using it.

Behind him, the dark ocean tug exuded a chuckle. He wasn't about to let his prey get away now. Not after having stalked him since the sun slid under the horizon hours ago. No, he was going to enjoy this. It was time to turn Zorran's years of cruelty back on him. Time to give him a taste of his own poison.

Meanwhile, Zorran's strength had finally failed. He had used the last of his steam to try and call for help, and he couldn't muster the strength to try and throw off Hercules' line. Around him the fog was reaching out, smothering its surroundings with its muffling quiet. In moments he could barely see past his own bow, but the pressure at his stern didn't ease. Suddenly, without warning, Hercules rammed his port side with nearly enough force to crack his hull! His starboard side, meanwhile, crashed through the quay he had been dragging himself along, shattering the old pilings and dumping splintered wood and old dockside refuse onto his deck. Zorran was lucky that the tide was in, otherwise the damaged quay would likely have decapitated him in the impact.

The force of Hercules' attack knocked the wind out of Zorran, leaving him gasping for breath. Gritting his teeth, the damaged tug prepared for a second impact, but the hit never came. Instead, he was greeted by a much worse sight. In the place of the regal ocean tug was his maroon counterpart. Hades grinned at him through serrated teeth, and his eyes burned a sinister red.

Zorran could only stare on in fear, but movement out of the corner of his eye pulled his attention to his bow. The paint on his hull and deck was moving, and giving off a nearly imperceptible crackling noise. At first Zorran thought he was hallucinating from the pain in his sides, but then a large chunk of white paint sloughed off to reveal rusted steel beneath. Immediately the exposed area began to hurt with a blazing pain as the raw steel was exposed to the fog-laden air. His bow wasn't the only afflicted part however, as other patches began fragmenting and tumbling into the calm harbor waters. These random patches weren't random however, and Zorran quickly realized that they were the exact same patches where he continually had to be treated from his aftereffects of his brush with microbonic plague. Somehow Hades was taking these old scars and reactivating the disease at an accelerated rate. Even worse was the fact that he could feel new patches bursting through his paint, both internally and externally. The painful sores soon overwhelmed him, but as he tried to cry out, his throat seized up from the sores and all that exuded from his lips was a strained whimper.

The rusting patches spread like wildfire and quickly corroded the once healthy tug. His blown engine was quickly overcome, and rusted pipes and fittings began breaking loose and falling apart. The air around Zorran was filled with dust, choking him with the oxidized remains of his very being. Each breath became more and more of a struggle to obtain, and soon his vision was edged with black. Zorran's world had narrowed down to a little more than pain, his fight for breath, and Hades' eyes watching him with pleasure.

Suddenly with a crack, Zorran's smokestack lifted aft before collapsing into a heap of cracked steel and crumbling rust. The impact crushed his lifeboats and sent his flagpole crashing seaward. The pennet flag itself caught itself on the quay and ripped of its ties to dangle just above the water.

Now Zorran's vision was fading. His breath had subsided to nothing, and his mind was fully enveloped in a mixture of pain and Hades' malice. Vaguely he was aware of a loud implosion as his rust-weakened hull had finally failed where Hercules had hit it before. The gaping hole greedily sucked at the seawater, while the harbor began dragging the dying tug down into the depths. Slowly his stern sank into the cold waters, while his bow began to lift, while around him the fog lifted and dispersed. The moonless sky's stars began to once again illuminate the night. Their light glittered off Zorran's blank eyes, as though the last moments of his life were spent begging for their help before the unforgiving depths swallowed him. All that remained on the surface was his tattered flag fluttering in the gentle breeze, and his hat which floated free and bobbed beside Hercules' hull.

Hercules gently scooped up the hat with one of his tow ropes, eyes looking at it with pleasure. It was incredibly satisfying, especially after so many years, to finally have Zorran gone for good. It was cruel to have Hades use his powers on the harbor tug, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He could keep the hat as a trophy, but it was simply too risky. He quietly placed it on the quay shooting out his smoke and shredding it to pieces.

Meanwhile, Zorran's soul slowly emerged from the water, looking on skyward. However, he shrieked when he was grabbed by the smoke. "Please, don't send me to Hell!"

"Oh I have so many uses for a rat like you. Come and make yourself comfy." Hercules said, his voice changing to Hades. "Lucky for you, you're in good company! And you'll get more work than what that rum guzzling madman of a captain gave you."

Zorran's soul struggled to break free from the confines of the smoke, but he was quickly dragged into Hercules' smokestack and into his very being. Once Zorran was gone, Hercules laughed rather loudly before heading back to the Star Dock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't really sure on what to do with Zorran, and originally had him live in the end. However, I still was uneasy about the idea and how it would work out, and so I suggested to NefariousScalin that Zorran would possibly get killed by Hercules/Hades. Since this was an au story and not a canon story, I went forth with killing off Zorran.


End file.
